


space between here and there

by haekass



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Action, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Smut, Space rebellion, author is a history nerd, bc eunhae, epic adventures in space, long fic, lots of smut, not nice things happened before, scifi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-04-07 11:16:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 105,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4261317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haekass/pseuds/haekass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since he'd been launched across the galaxy six years ago, he'd always thought it would be nice to see Earth again before he died. But he'd always thought that it was nothing more than a dream. He'd made friends and enemies, found love, acquired a new family among former prisoners and exiles, and increased the bounty on his capture. Then, in as much an accident as what had shot him across the galaxy in the first place, they found Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the space around phobos

**Author's Note:**

> warnings: mentions of homophobia/heteronormativity, moral grayness, implications of not nice things happening to people against their will (through entire fic, individual chapters will have warnings)
> 
> a/n: this story is very loosely based on one plot point in a farscape/jag crossover fic called the visitors. aside from that one plot point, no other coincidence is intended. some actual earth history might pop up, but I am not claiming that historical people are extraterrestrials. as always, any real person belongs to themselves, and this is not intended to be read as factual. (come on it's scifi.)

 

 

 

 

_Six years ago:_

 

"Powering up the engines." He pushed his gloved finger against the sequence of buttons, then took a deep breath of pressurized air, slowly letting it out as he curled his finger under the final switch.

 

"Godspeed, _Pioneer_. Awaiting next contact."

 

Hyukjae flipped the switch, quickly looking up. Earth was still large in his screen, and he waited two seconds before releasing his breath, annoyed. The math said that this was _entirely_ possible, and the engines should have had enough power to easily create the wormhole. He cursed and hit his hand against the console, frustrated that his nearly three days awake was all for naught. "Mission Control, _Pioneer_..."

 

The view out of the window abruptly changed, colors flashing before his eyes in a sickening swirl, and he pinched his eyes closed. Not getting nauseous in free fall was already a difficult prospect for him, but add in flashing, swirling colors and his stomach immediately reacted violently to it. Daring to peek when he didn't see the strobe of colors anymore, he instinctively shrieked. He was close – _far too close_ – to _something_ in his way, and he fought against the controls to orient and right himself, trying to spin out of the way of a spike that was headed right for him. Shoving the flight stick all the way to the right, he rolled out of the way of that one, only to feel _Pioneer_ shudder. Yanking the stick to the left, he gasped and felt his eyes go wide when his ears popped.

 

He barely had time to shove the protective shield of his helmet down before the simple physics of explosive decompression took over, and he twisted as best he could to gauge the damage, his stomach sinking when he saw that the entire back end of _Pioneer_ had been sheared off and was now exposed to space, the engines swirling away from him and abruptly lighting what he'd just crashed into.

 

It was almost pretty, in a sickening, fatalistic way, when the engines finally crashed against a flat space and fire brilliantly bloomed from the explosion.

 

The shockwave and shrapnel caught up to him in less than a minute, and for a few seconds, he thought he managed to escape unscathed, even though half of the control panels were dark from impacts. His attention was caught by a large cloud of gas drifting into his line of sight and he laughed bitterly as he looked at the large rip in the leg of his suit, venting the air that could have kept him alive for a few hours. His ears popped as air rushed out of the rest of the suit, and he welcomed the blackness of unconsciousness when it consumed him.

 

 

He hadn’t expected to wake up. Or if he did, maybe he would see if there was an afterlife. His mind was foggy and not comprehending, and he fought weakly against the firm hands on him, wanting to know one way or the other.

 

“Am I dead?” he mumbled in Korean, any ability to speak in a language other than his native one gone for the moment. Bright lights made him hope that even though he had lost his faith somewhere along the way between Seoul and Canaveral, he was in Heaven.

 

Cracking his eyes open, he winced at the light that made it seem like ice picks had just been stabbed into his brain. There was noise, but he couldn’t sort out what it was. Cracking his eyes open again, he frowned slightly. There were human-shaped objects hovering above him, and he wished his eyes would hurry up and focus.

 

The slap across the face certainly helped with focusing and clearing out some of the cobwebs from his mind, even though he felt like he was at the end of a three-day bender and incredibly sleepy.

 

He blinked a few times, his head ringing from the force of the slap. He noticed the military-like uniform first off, but there weren’t any visible ranks that he was familiar with and he skipped up to the face. Rearing back a little, he blatantly stared at the single-lidded, dark eyes, wondering if he had hallucinated the past few years of his life. Then the man in front of him opened his mouth.

 

“Di xing ka lop.”

 

Blinking, Hyukjae tried to figure out what language that was supposed to be. “What?” he tried in English, his voice slurred.

 

“Di xing _ka_ lop!”

 

Shaking his head, Hyukjae tried for body language to convey that he had no clue what the guy was telling or asking him.

 

With another slap, a small vial was shoved up his nose. He couldn’t help the instinctive breath in to protest the indignity, and he really hoped that whatever was in the vial wasn’t deadly.

 

“Who are you?” he suddenly heard, the vial being taken out of his nose and tossed carelessly away. The voice was stiff and formal and apparently supremely pissed off.

 

“How do you know Korean?” Hyukjae asked, his head swimming around from the repeated slaps and still drunk-feeling. “Where am I?”

 

“Your. _Name_.”

 

Hyukjae stared for a moment, trying to figure out where he was, who this guy in front of him was, how that guy also knew that he was Korean and suddenly started speaking his native language, and what the hell was in that vial.

 

“I demand your name!” This time, the demand was accompanied by a punch that definitely made him see stars, and with crystal clarity, Hyukjae knew that he wasn’t dead – yet – but he was in the middle of an interrogation. With that, he immediately fell back into training.

 

“Lee Hyukjae. Commander of _Pioneer_. Republic of Korea Army,” he stated, his eyes drilling into the guy who kept slapping him.

 

“Li.. H… Ek.. Jai?” Hyukjae closed his eyes as he saw the man aiming yet another slap or a punch or whatever at him. Wincing at the impact and pain from a punch, Hyukjae almost wished he was unconscious again. “Your _true_ name! Not some _nonsense_ you have created!”

 

Shaking his head, Hyukjae repeated himself, wondering how much longer it would be before he was unconscious again.

 

Three punches later, he was just on the verge of passing out, and he was bracing for a fourth when the guy was interrupted. “Commandant, I ask for a moment,” a soft, distinctly female voice said.

 

Blearily looking at her, he wondered how the hell she was speaking Korean too, even if it was extremely stiff and formal sounding. She was using polite forms, where the guy hadn’t been.

 

“Your report?”

 

“We brought the remains of that one’s craft aboard and it was inspected. It was found to contain… anomalies.”

 

“What kind?”

 

“Commandant, my report reflects that the craft was not manufactured within the Empire’s borders. It is crude technology, the sort that any shipyard would be ashamed to claim as their own. I conclude that it was manufactured in the Wilds. Perhaps that one is from one of the independent-leaning worlds?”

 

“Hey,” Hyukjae protested. Insulting him was one thing, insulting _Pioneer_ was another. He had put an absurd amount of time and thought into that design, and half the instruments and functioning parts he had to design himself since they didn’t even exist. “ _Pioneer_ isn’t _crude_.”

 

Forcing nausea down as he was punched again, he just wanted to sleep.

 

“God, could you aim a little better,” he muttered under his breath.

 

“What is your world called?”

 

Hyukjae couldn’t understand how he was on Earth and was being asked what _world_ he came from. “The fuck kind of question is that?” he returned.

 

He was displeased that the punch he got as an answer didn’t knock him out.

 

“Your world!”

 

Giving up, Hyukjae shook his head. This was by far not how he expected an interrogation to go – he expected questions about his work and the technology that came from his work, not what the planet was called, which everyone should really know.

 

He maybe muttered something about everyone knowing what Earth was called, but he couldn’t be sure as he finally passed out again.

 

 

Hyukjae had no clue how long he was unconscious, but when he finally kind of surfaced again, it was because of screaming and the sound of something pounding on metal and fighting. Opening his eyes, he felt an immediate surge of adrenaline as he saw many bodies running by, many of them inarticulately yelling, and he was pretty sure he saw someone just yank something off the wall to use as a makeshift weapon.

 

Shakily getting up from the floor, he realized something didn’t feel right. Looking down, he nearly died of mortification. He was entirely naked and he quickly grabbed the thing that he’d been sleeping on, hoping like hell that it was a sheet he could wrap around himself. It was padded and tough to hold closed, but he cautiously stepped out of the open door, wondering how and why it was open. The floor was _freezing_ on his bare feet, but he wasn’t on them for long.

 

He was obviously caught up in the middle of a riot, and he couldn’t get a moment to think properly. If he wasn’t being jostled around, he was being dragged or shoved out of the way, usually landing painfully against cold metal. Just when he thought things were calming down, he was yanked around and pushed against the wall, and he barely managed to avoid landing nose first.

 

“This one has to be the infiltrator,” someone behind him announced. “That marking is too new!”

 

There was a chorus of shouts and agreements and Hyukjae tried to get his body to work so he could get away. Yelping in pain as his short hair was grabbed in a painfully hard grip, he was basically forced to let go of his covering to grab at the hands with his and his face burned from the embarrassment.

 

“Let me go,” he bit out, struggling to get away.

 

“Oh we will let you _go_.” The menace in the voice chilled him far more than what the ambient temperature did, and he was dragged kicking and screaming down a hallway until he was shoved against a wall again, but this one was even _colder_ and it had a nice, cheery circular window like thing in it. The dull red lighting made it feel like there was a rock in his stomach as every single thing he’d ever seen in movie pointed towards that small room being an airlock, and right beyond that would be nothing but space.

 

The new surge of adrenaline let him work his limbs long enough to shove himself backwards and away from that. “Let me go,” he shrieked. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!” Digging his thumbnail into the soft underside of a wrist, he finally loosened the grip on his hair, only to be attacked from behind, his arms held out by two different people. The guy who first had a grip on him backhanded him across the face, causing Hyukjae to dry heave a few times, which apparently gave the guy enough time to open the airlock door.

 

Struggling against the hold on his arms, he fought like hell to keep from being herded into that red-lit room. When he finally got one arm free, he swung his fist blindly, wanting nothing more than to cause pain to someone who had caused him pain. He jerked when his wrist was caught in a firm grip and he couldn’t help the shriek. Two glowing gold eyes were staring at him calmly.

 

“What the _fuck_ ,” he screamed. “What – who are you?” He finally tore his gaze away from the unsettling eyes and noticed that they belonged to a young woman, her dark hair short, giving her a tomboyish appearance. She was dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt that was tight against her skin, and black pants that were loose, almost like fatigues, which was what everyone else was wearing.

 

“He is not the infiltrator,” she calmly said, turning her attention to the guy who had dragged him and dropping Hyukjae’s wrist. “You are.”

 

“Crazy bitch,” the guy spat, and Hyukjae was relieved for the moment that all of the attention was off him. Protectively covering himself he glanced around as he shifted his weight from foot to foot to try and keep the numbness away. “You are _tribute_. Are you his?”

 

“I belong to no one,” she answered, her voice just as composed as it had been, though Hyukjae did notice the twitch of her hand. “That one has only confusion and no intent to harm. He is simply new. Your intent is to harm and control.”

 

Hyukjae started as he heard a growl and after a panicked look around for a dog, he suddenly realized it was coming from the woman.

 

“ _Shabi._ You can go with him,” they guy yelled, starting to lurch forward towards her.

 

“I would not recommend that,” a new voice said. “Her twin has already caused one riot for her.”

 

Hyukjae was even more confused as about half of the group gathered around the airlock suddenly dropped to their knees and bowed their heads to the floor. Others were just slower getting there, leaving only him, the woman, and the guy who grabbed him standing.

 

He suddenly realized he was still naked as the day he was born, and his feet were going numb. He’d given up wondering why and how everyone was speaking Korean, deciding that saving his life was a little more important. The woman looked at him, her eyes a startling brilliant gold, but now without the disturbing glow. She showed no fear in turning her back on the guy that had dragged him and calmly walked to the tall, thin man who was the new arrival. “I will acquire clothing for that one. He is becoming uncomfortable.”

 

Tall and Thin nodded once, stepping to the side slightly to let her pass. “A moment,” he said, stopping her in her tracks, her head tilting inquisitively. “What is the situation?”

 

“Infiltrator,” she replied, jerking her chin to the guy who had dragged Hyukjae by his hair, and Hyukjae didn’t kid himself that he was above feeling a spurt of vindication. “Accusing the bare one of being that.”

 

Tall and Thin nodded. “My thanks. Bare One, come,” he ordered, waving his hand in a ‘come here’ motion.

 

Hyukjae looked at him suspiciously for a moment, but Tall and Thin was farther away from the airlock than what he was, so that was a no-brain decision. “My name is Lee Hyukjae,” he corrected once he had scampered over to the much taller man.

 

“Hekjai?” Tall and Thin asked, obviously stumbling over the pronunciation.

 

“Oh my God, all of you are speaking _Korean_ but you can’t pronounce my name?” he asked, finally exasperated. Then it dawned on him that he had been next to an airlock.

 

He was in _space_. He was in space, on a spaceship, surrounded by _people on a spaceship_ , and people who he suddenly realized would not be from Earth since he wasn’t floating in freefall, and the coldness on all the metal meant that they were really in _space_. He knew his eyes were wide as he looked up at Tall and Thin.

 

“We’re not on Earth, are we?” he asked quietly, already knowing the answer, but wanting someone outside of himself to confirm.

 

“I am not familiar with that location.”

 

“Oh,” Hyukjae replied, a sudden grief crashing through him.

 

“That _shabi accused_ me!” the guy next to the airlock suddenly roared, shaking Hyukjae out of the downward spiral of thoughts and making him realize that he was still in a very precarious situation. “She is covering for her owner in saying that _I_ am an infiltrator!”

 

“She did not accuse,” Tall and Thin said, his voice firm. “She only speaks in truth. If she says that you are an infiltrator, you are one.”

 

“She lies,” the guy said, spit flying from his mouth.

 

“She does not. Relinquish your weapon. There is no one left aside from you. You may join those who surrendered peacefully, or you may join the others in death,” Tall and Thin replied. Hyukjae jumped and barely held onto the startled yelp when he felt a soft hand touch his shoulder from behind.

 

“Bare One. Clothing.”

 

Hyukjae had to take a couple of deep breaths before he could shakily reach out with one hand and grab the pile of fabric. Feeling better as he actually had _something_ to cover himself with, he wondered if he should just get dressed right there or if he could hold onto the clothing enough to cover his dick while he dressed.

 

“There is no reason for embarrassment,” the woman whispered to him, her voice pitched under the heated argument brewing between Tall and Thin and the other guy. “Most are born with genitalia.”

 

The pain from his feet finally overrode the mortification and he quickly dressed, stepping into the shoes that looked like a cross between sneakers and combat boots. Feeling inordinately better now that he was clothed, he glanced around. Most everyone had risen out of the bow, but remained on their knees, and he wondered what kind of deference they were giving Tall and Thin.

 

“Hey thanks,” he said to the woman, who nodded. “What’s your name?”

 

She turned her head and blinked at him curiously. “Twin and I do not have one. If you require a designator for use, I was referred to as Two during my servitude.”

 

Hyukjae felt a sick sensation roil in his stomach. “You were a slave?” he asked, horrified.

 

“Your reaction is most peculiar,” she replied. “Aside from Zhou Mi, I have not known others to be appalled about servitude.”

 

“Who’s Zhou Mi?”

 

She pointed at Tall and Thin.

 

“Okay I like him way more already than I like that other guy.”

 

The corners of her lips tilted upwards slightly. “Your speech patterns are odd. What world do you come from?”

 

“Earth,” he replied, not feeling any hesitation in letting her have that information since she’d just literally saved his life.

 

“I am unknowing of that world. Is it in the Wilds?”

 

Her question was so forthright and matter of fact that it really drove home the fact that he was lost in space and surrounded by non-Earth humanoids. “I don’t know,” he answered, his voice getting choked up.

 

* * *

 

 _Now_ :

 

Hyukjae sucked on his lips as he stared at the image on the screen, trying to sort out his own emotions. He'd wanted to see the sight of Earth again before he died, and he thought it would be a total fantasy – he was completely lost in space – but now he was looking at the screen, the familiar blue oceans and the contours of the continents making him nearly faint, and for the first time in nearly six years, he was surrounded by silence.

 

As soon as the first whisper of _Earth_ that had left his lips, the others had quietly slipped out, leaving him mostly alone.

 

“That is it?”

 

The quiet words broke the silence and Hyukjae jerked slightly, nodding. “That's it. That's my home planet.”

 

“It is... pretty.”

 

Hyukjae snorted, his lips stretching up into a smile. “I'm kind of fond of it.” He waited a beat and then looked at the man beside him. “You know I'm not leaving, right? Earth is my home planet, but it's not my home anymore.”

 

“You do not wish to go back to it?”

 

Hyukjae sighed. “Well, yeah I do, but just for a visit. I miss my family and it _hurts_ that they think I'm dead. But it's not _home_ , not anymore. That, and we'd never be able to live there in peace.”

 

“Oh yes, your government and paraji.”

 

“Paparazzi,” Hyukjae absently corrected. “And it's governments in the _very_ multiple sense.” The annoyed breath of air through teeth made him smile. “I told you we were a mess.”

 

A soft hum agreed with him. “I still do not understand why your people continue to divide themselves when there are far greater dangers.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “No one's ever been faced with those dangers, so there's sort of a 'that will never happen' attitude. Some want to maintain their positions of power, so they continue their own willful ignorance. I don't think that half of the population would change, even if a flagship showed up in orbit.”

 

“That, I suspect, would be devastating for your people.”

 

“Yeah. Take my reaction when I first met you and multiply it by about seven billion.”

 

“Riots, panic... all for what?”

 

“The realization that we are not at the top of the food chain,” Hyukjae muttered bitterly.

 

There was silence for a moment. “We can leave,” came the soft offer. “No one will think lowly of you for it. We can wipe the data of how we got here if you want.”

 

Hyukjae was tempted, sorely tempted, to take the offer. The majority of their time out in the Wilds and within the Empire’s borders was spent running. Running from place to place, running from the Imperial ships, running when things got bad, and this would just be yet another run. He sighed. “I wish I could...” he said, his voice breaking. They could try and cover their tracks as best they could, but there was always that chance that Earth could be found by the Zhang.

 

He couldn't take that risk. Not with his family stuck on the planet.

 

He was pulled forward, and he buried his face in the strong line of the neck, breathing in a scent that soothed him by its familiarity. He let himself cry, the emotions overwhelming him. He was actually back to his home planet, he could help his people with the knowledge he'd gained, but he was still _home_. He felt strong arms come around him, holding him close and softly petting his hair. He hiccupped a little as the soft pets to his hair smoothed into lips on his cheek and softly whispered words of love and assurance. When he lifted his head, the lips on his cheek lifted to meet his, the chaste kiss soothing him further.

 

When their lips separated naturally, he sighed and opened his eyes, and then smiled. “I love you Donghae,” he confessed yet again, never able to stop the words.

 

Donghae smiled at him, his eyes turning up, a thin rim of blue appearing on the edges of the irises. “Just as you have my love. How will we contact your people?”

 

Hyukjae smiled. Not _you_ , but _we_. “I haven't figured that out yet,” he laughed. “I mean it's not like I can just cruise on out and scare the shit out of the people on the ISS, as funny as that would be momentarily. Also, we're probably going to need to find a good place to orbit.”

 

“I will monitor for the numerous satellites you say your people have placed in orbits.”

 

“Well, Jupiter and Saturn are completely out unless you can find their orbiters and stay on the opposite side of them along with dodging all of the moons and random meteors. Those orbiters have some really good resolution on their cameras and can get back to Earth within a standard or two.”

 

Donghae hummed and waved his hands over the large console. Both of them winced at the noise that quickly played before being just as quickly cut off, and Donghae shook his head. “So noisy!” he complained.

 

“Yeah, we aren't exactly a quiet species. It's a miracle that we haven't been discovered yet, really, and probably because we're arrogant in thinking that we're either alone in the galaxy or that we can handle whatever comes at us.”

 

Donghae turned amused eyes on him as the solar system slowly formed in the holographic particles above the console. “You have proved rather resourceful... and arrogant at points...” he teased.

 

He grinned and moved closer, amused when Donghae pinned him against the console. “Arrogant hm?”

 

“I never said that I did not like it,” Donghae said, nipping at his lips. “Let us begin making plans for contacting your people, any satellite creating noise has been tracked.”

 

Looking over his shoulder, Hyukjae saw the system mapped out, orange lines indicating planetary orbits, and then the silver lines that indicated satellites that were being tracked. He knew offhand the names and agencies for a good dozen of them, picking out the main ones around Jupiter and Saturn.

 

Sighing, he turned to look at the map, his eyes seeking out blind spots he knew they could use to hop closer to Earth.

 

“What are we doing? Staying or going?”

 

Hyukjae looked over at the door as the other three members of their small skeleton crew pushed into the main room. “Staying,” he answered. “I have to _try_ and help them.”

 

“So where are we going to orbit? There are satellites around _everything_! There are satellites around satellites!” Amber complained, gesturing at the multitude of silver lines. “Are we just going to orbit your planet?”

 

“Can't,” Hyukjae answered. “My people are totally unaware of the existence of anyone but ourselves.”

 

Amber stilled. “Your people have _never_ had contact with...”

 

“With the Zhang Empire or any other space faring civilization, no. We've never had contact with any being that lives or was born off of our one planet.”

 

“How is that _possible_?”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “I don't know,” he answered quietly. How Earth was so lucky to have not already been discovered, been plundered for its people and resources when so many other planets were not as fortunate, he would never figure out.

 

“Your system is in a very desolate location, that might also be a large part of why you have not been acquired within the Empire,” Zhou Mi diplomatically pointed out, his tall, lean body characteristic of the elite rulers of the Zhang Empire as he leaned against the console. “But I feel that your instinct to assist your home planet is correct with many of the major clans looking for new worlds.”

 

“Yeah they’re pretty intent now on expanding in this general direction,” Hyukjae replied. “Which is why I have to try and warn my people about them.”

 

“We now circle back to the problem of where to hide,” Amber said, her eyes permanently the soft gold color that led Hyukjae into proposing that she call herself by that name. “If we must hide ourselves from casual discovery, then we must find a safe place to orbit with a strong magnetic field to hide the signature of the ship.”

 

Hyukjae sighed and rubbed at his chin. “But even smaller telescopes can pick out new things, which could bring attention to the larger telescopes. I’m also not looking forward to us being on a full _farn_ rotation for piloting so we can minimize the shield use.” His eyes caught on Mars and stayed there. “Wait... if we need to hide the signature of the ship while making contact, why not just shut everything but the essentials down? That reduces the signature to the point where it can barely be detected, even with a minimal magnetic field.”

 

Amber suddenly grinned. “Right. It has been some time since we had to use that tactic.”

 

“It would also allow us to access parts of the ship that need repairs as well,” Song Qian added, her dark hair spilling over a shoulder.

 

Donghae looked over at Hyukjae curiously. “Where to?”

 

Hyukjae reached out, tapping on Mars to expand the view. “This planet, or probably the innermost moon if it’s able to support the weight of the ship landing. There's hopefully two still operational robots on the surface of the planet with cameras.”

 

“I thought you did not want us to be seen?” Donghae asked, his face twisting in confusion.

 

“I don't want them to see this _ship_ I want them to see _me_. Hopefully the government that runs those two is still friendly with mine,” he muttered. “Zhou Mi, can you find the two biggest sources of noise on that planet while we're landing so we know where to go?”

 

Zhou Mi tilted his head gracefully, indicating his agreement.

 

“Amber, I would enjoy assistance with cataloging what repairs we would be able to do with our limited supplies, as I assume that Hyukjae will be piloting,” Song Qian said, her dark eyes flickering over the planetary information.

 

“Make a wish list of materials, preferably with chemical and atomic compounds, that we need. I'll try and get supplies from the governments,” Hyukjae said as he followed Donghae to the piloting seats. “And definitely fresh food.”

 

 

 

Hyukjae chuckled to himself as he stepped onto the dusty brown-red surface of Mars in his old spacesuit and looked around. He knew that the rover was just over the crater to his right. “I shouldn't be more than about half a standard,” he said into the communicator that directed back to Donghae rather than to Earth when he mentally calculated the time differences, figuring that an Earth hour would be more than sufficient.

 

“Understood. How is your air?”

 

Hyukjae looked at the read out, mentally calculating Earth time into Zhang time. “I've got two standard's worth, but I don't want to push it. I'll be back soon.”

 

He walked as quickly as he dared across the Martian landscape, breathing a sigh of relief when the rover was slowly moving towards him. He didn't bother with trying to evade detection and walked right up to the camera. He already had the small note written out, and he hoped that he wouldn't have to do this more than once, but was guessing that he'd have to try multiple times to get any response.

 

He was able to easily stop the rover from moving with his foot and held the note in front of the camera, keeping his face in the shot as well. The small alarm beeped at him after fifteen minutes. “Okay I'm going to switch to the other communicator. I'll check in with you in a regular interval.”

 

“Understood,” Donghae replied, his voice tight.

 

Knowing that there would be no way to soothe Donghae, Hyukjae flicked the communicator with his tongue and proceeded to wait, holding the note as steady as he could. He was unable to stop himself from looking around habitually, looking for anything that could be out of place.

 

After the second alarm he took a deep breath. “This is Commander Lee Hyukjae, pilot of the one-man vessel _Pioneer_. It has been six years, eight months, and fourteen days since the incident. I was most likely declared missing in space, but I am alive. _Pioneer_ worked. I was launched into a human created wormhole, and arrived safely on the other side. I...” he faltered, trying to gather his words and not lapsing into his native Korean. “I bring news from other worlds. We are not alone. I repeat, we are not alone. There are allies and enemies in other civilizations. I request that you reply on this frequency to communicate. I require milk for my cookies.” The seemingly nonsensical statement was an old one, one that he'd agreed with his controller that he would use if there was any doubt who he was. “Please spin the camera twice to indicate acknowledgment and receipt of my message.”

 

Flicking the communicator again, he found his hands shaking within the suit. “Hey.”

 

“Hi,” Donghae replied immediately. “How much longer?”

 

“I don’t know. I just sent the message and have to wait for them to acknowledge it after they get done shitting themselves.”

 

Donghae's amused snort of air echoed in his ears. “Your expressions about bodily functions never cease to amuse me.”

 

Hyukjae smiled, relieved that Donghae didn't sound nearly as tense.

 

“How is your air?”

 

Hyukjae looked at the readout. “Still fine. I think we finally managed to find and seal the last air leak.”

 

“I would not be nearly as concerned if you were wearing your actual spacesuit.”

 

Hyukjae glanced around again. “I think it would make both of us less worried, but this is for identification purposes. They need to see me how I'm remembered. If I notice the air starting to go down, I'll head back.”

 

Donghae sighed softly. “All right, but do not place yourself in danger for it. I realize that this is the safest option, but I would almost rather fly you and _Pioneer_ right up to the space station you have in orbit.”

 

“Yeah, after getting used to instant communication, it's annoying to wait for transmissions again.”

 

He chatted to Donghae while he waited for the next alarm to go off, and flipped communicators again when his alarm beeped at him, indicating thirty minutes had passed.

 

His eyes closed as he heard static and then the first words from his planet in over six years as the camera spun in a full circle once, paused, and then spun again.

 

“Message received. Stand by.”

 

Smiling, he flipped his note over and grabbed his pen as the message repeated multiple times in his ears.

 

 _Message acknowledged. Must return to ship for air due to suit malfunction, frequency still open_ , he wrote in both Korean and English and held it up for the camera, giving a thumbs up. Pulling his foot away from the robot, he made sure that the rover was able to get moving again and had a firm grip on the ground.

Flipping the communicator again, he smiled. “Hey, I'm on my way back.”

 

“Understood,” Donghae replied.

 

Hyukjae walked quickly back to the attack ship, and cycled through the airlock, not surprised that Donghae was already taking off before he'd gotten the cumbersome spacesuit off. He grabbed the communicator out of the helmet, making sure that it was set to the frequency that directed back to Earth. He'd barely gotten out of the space suit before he felt the main engines cut off and the soft thrusters take over, which meant they were already back at the ship that was landed on the daylight side of Phobos. He kept the communicator in hand as it repeated the same message every few minutes as he and Donghae exited out of the attack ship.

Amber was sitting in one of the two pilot chairs as they strolled back into the main room. “Were you successful?”

“Yes,” Donghae replied as he lightly kicked his twin's feet to get her out of his chair. “I believe that we are now waiting for scientists and politicians to cease urinating on themselves. How are repairs?”

“Now that you have returned, they will go a lot faster with extra hands,” Song Qian said over the speakers.

“Twin and I will be there shortly to assist,” Donghae said, amused.

“Thank you.”

Hyukjae gave Donghae a short kiss as he slid into the pilot’s chair, listening to his communicator for any change.

 

 

 

When the message did change, it was almost six hours later and Hyukjae was having a meal with the crew, all of them crowded around a bowl of food cubes, which, while nutritional and stimulated the feeling of fullness, were still bland as hell.

“Commander Lee, milk has been purchased from the store. Request visual confirmation of the grocery list, will await reply.” Hyukjae rolled his eyes and toggled the communicator.

 

“Agreed. Request permission to put grocery list in orbit of lunar surface for real time visual. Time is not sensitive for arrival. Awaiting reply.”

 

“What was said?” Donghae asked as soon as Hyukjae had set the communicator back down from turning off the microphone. Hyukjae knew that he meant the odd phrasing instead of the entire broadcast.

 

“Our governments are notoriously paranoid about people not being who they say they are, especially in signals from space. There's an entire genre of our entertainment industries that are devoted to that as well. So I was trained to remember odd sentences to prove I am who I say I am and I’m not being forced to repeat something.” He shrugged and popped another cube in his mouth. “So when they're asking for the grocery list, they want to see me inside _Pioneer_.”

 

Donghae's mouth firmed. “I am going too.”

 

Hyukjae smiled and patted his hand. “I know you are.”

 

Zhou Mi folded his fingers and set his chin down upon them. “This seems dangerous. You do not trust them?”

Hyukjae shrugged. “They're paranoid, so that makes them predictably dangerous. Predictability is better than randomness.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded his head. “It is within their predictability that we can minimize danger.”

 

“I will pilot the second attacker,” Song Qian said. “Donghae will be with you stealthed and I will be mid-range while Amber and Zhou Mi finish repairs.”

 

“How much is left?” Hyukjae asked.

 

“The engines are performing as best as we can make it – we still can never outrun a flagship, _but_ we did get some of the stealthing capabilities back with the additional power,” she replied, tapping her finger against a cube.

 

“If your planet has some of the materials we need, we might be able to get the power back to the rest of the stealth generators,” Amber added. She smiled and tossed a cube in her hands. “In sixteen _farn_ , we'll finally be able to have enough generated power to make our own food again.”

 

Hyukjae sagged with the joy of the thought. “Is that sixteen _farn_ doing what we're doing now, or if we're having to run?” he asked.

 

“Sixteen doing what we're doing now, thirty for having to run,” Song Qian answered. “We are able to use the stealthing without impacting that number, but if we use stealth and run, it is possible we could either destroy what we recently repaired or delay the food generation.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “Well, at least we have the possibility. How much of the stealthing is usable?”

 

“We can safely orbit your planet without worry of discovery, and we can hide from anything short of the _Faxian_ class and up.”

 

Donghae's eyebrows arched. “That is a lot.”

 

“I sometimes know what I am doing,” Song Qian said seriously, and maintained that seriousness for a few seconds before giggling. “For any additional repairs... I will have to see if we can get supplies from your planet and if it is useful. All that is left after that is replacing some outer tiles that are damaged to increase our structural integrity and to make some areas functional once more.”

 

Zhou Mi drummed his fingers on his left hand for a moment before carefully choosing a cube. “As soon as I have a rest, I will begin those repairs. The tiles are already made, I just need to move them to the correct locations and replace them. Are your people going to reply soon?”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “Maybe.”

 

They ate a few more cubes and were straightening the crew area when the communicator crackled to life.

 

“Affirmative. Grocery list is approved for lunar orbit in two hours from time of transmission.”

 

Hyukjae groaned. He'd gotten used to a short sleep after their meal, but given that he was now under the two-hour mark, he'd have to stay awake. “Oh _now_ you move quickly,” he darkly muttered. “Confirmed. Lunar orbit of grocery list. Be advised, grocery list has been modified due to... fire and discontinued items,” he replied, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice as he toggled the communicator.

 

“How long is... two hours?” Song Qian asked.

 

“About three quarters of a standard time unit. Which means we actually have barely enough time to get into our suits and launch off if you're going.”

 

“I gave my word; I will honor it.”

 

“Zhou Mi, rest yourself. I will stay in the pilot chair until you are awake,” Amber said.

 

Hyukjae took off at a jog for the hangars, hearing Song Qian and Donghae follow him. They pulled on their piloting suits and went to their separate vehicles. Hyukjae had not been kidding when he said that _Pioneer_ had been modified – he'd basically married the back end of an attacker to the chunk that had been taken out when he'd literally run right into a flagship. _Pioneer_ was now more attacker than it was originally Earth made equipment, aside from the paint job. He flipped the engines on, waiting for Donghae and Song Qian to launch first in the larger attackers.

“Donghae? Song Qian?” he asked into the communicator attached to his suit.

 

“Here,” Song Qian answered, followed by Donghae.

“Amber?”

“Listening,” Amber replied from within the ship.

“We have one third of a standard before our arrival is anticipated around Earth's moon, but let's not just show up. Stealthing is warming up.”

“Stealthing, affirmed,” Donghae replied. Hyukjae could see the tiny ripples beginning to deflect the visual of the attacker.

“Affirmed,” Song Qian said as well. Once all three of their ships were stealthed, he moved into his standard position off to the right of Donghae's ship while Song Qian moved to the left. While his visual was totally obscured of the ships, their friendly beacons kept their ships from crashing into each other, and he could see the small holograms of Donghae and Song Qian in their attackers that the beacons also provided.

“How quickly could your people get to your satellite?” Donghae asked.

“They can't,” Hyukjae honestly answered. “The last time humans put any person on the Moon, it took them three of Earth’s days – a little less than two _farn_ – just to get there. They wouldn't have enough time to get anything near us. The only thing we need to worry about is if we're cleared to move closer.”

“But you have satellites around every planet and your star along with many asteroids too?” Amber replied.

“They were launched a long time before they ever arrived, Amber.”

“So they are not instantly placed?”

“Nope.”

They moved quickly to the mid-point, where Song Qian would wait for them to return. He and Donghae continued on, moving quickly to achieve a high lunar orbit. He bit his lower lip hard as they cleared the dark side of the moon and he saw Earth rise into his view. He checked his sensors with what his eyes were telling him. Tilting his head to the right, he tried to orient himself, and he stared when he found the Korean Peninsula, his head slowly righting itself.

“There are many landmasses,” Donghae said quietly.

“Y-yeah,” he replied. “The large island on the left is Australia. Many of the smaller islands are made by volcanoes as you move to the right. The large landmass above that is Asia.”

“That is the landmass you were born on?”

“Yeah. Do you see that island chain to the far right?”

“Yes.”

“Find the where the islands in the chain almost end, and then look for the small jut of land to the left of that.”

“Okay.”

“That's where I was born,” he said quietly, his eyes filling with tears. Donghae could never take him to his and Amber's birth location – neither one of the twins remembered where they had been taken from or the names that they had been given at birth, if they had been given names at all – but he was able to share with Donghae his birth place. “The water between the two... that's the East Sea.”

He felt truly privileged to see the slow, happy smile on Donghae's face – even just through a hologram – as he saw the source of the name Hyukjae had given him. As he and Donghae orbited the moon, he pointed out various features of both Earth and the Moon that he could remember, excited to share this portion of his life with someone he felt would be with him until the end of it. He checked the time, surprised that his two-hour window was almost up.

“Okay, our next orbit, I'm going to turn off stealth. I'm turning on the communicator.”

“Understood. Inform when it is off.”

“Of course.” He turned the communicator on. “This is Commander Lee Hyukjae in _Pioneer_ ,” he announced into the silence.

“Commander Lee, this is Mission Control.”

Hyukjae smiled and flipped off the stealthing generator. “Stand by for visual when I am clear of lunar surface, Mission Control.”

“Standing by, Commander Lee.”

As Earth rose again, he flipped the switch for his in vehicle camera, hoping that it still worked. He was pretty sure that he'd hooked up power to it, and he just hoped that his literal crash landing hadn't damaged it. “Mission Control, this is Commander Lee, am I being received?”

The screen on his dash swam into life, giving him a somewhat blurry picture of the remembered control room. “You are, Commander Lee.”

He smiled slightly. “Nice to see you again, Mission Control. As asked, the grocery list should be available for viewing.”

“Acknowledged, Commander.”

Hyukjae looked down while waiting, correcting his orbit slightly to keep himself in line with Donghae's still stealthed ship.

“What the hell...”

Hyukjae shook his head slightly, smiling. He was guessing that they'd finally spotted the ship.

“Commander Lee... what happened to _Pioneer_?”

“The entire back end was ripped off as I exited the wormhole.” He shrugged. “The generator that caused the wormhole to form was destroyed at the same time as the engines.”

“And... the... additional parts...”

“Are of non-terrestrial origin, yes.”

As he expected, there was the flurry of activity on the screen.

 

“Stand by.”

Hyukjae rolled his eyes, but kept his eyes on his instruments while Mission Control had a collective moment at being faced with undeniable proof that there were technologically advanced civilizations. Yawning, he blinked rapidly and forced his attention to refocus, but seeing activity with no sound, he set his head on his hand and tried to keep his eyes open. The initial surge of adrenaline of seeing Earth up close had drained off, leaving him tired and weary.

“Commander.”

Hyukjae blinked at the screen, refocusing. He was surprised to see the military uniforms so quickly, but a quick look told him what he needed to know. Even though he'd been gone for what felt like sixty years, he could see that not too much had actually changed and the Korean government was likely to be left out of the loop even if Hyukjae got what he wanted. Disappointing, but unsurprising.

 

“Yes?”

“The current crew of the ISS volunteered to perform an initial debrief, even over objections. You have been cleared to proceed to the ISS.”

Hyukjae paused for a moment to think it over and then tilted his head once. “Very well. Inform the ISS that I will be arriving in about five minutes, after I inform my crew, who will also likely have objections. _Pioneer_ out.”

Flipping the communicator off, he sat back. “Okay it's off, and don't bother telling me that this is a bad idea, I know. But the only reason I agreed is because it's a solution that makes absolutely no one happy.”

“How is that?” Amber asked.

“The people on Earth aren't happy because they can't perform a full medical exam on me before having me talk. You aren't happy because you're not with me. But it's also the solution that protects everyone involved. The astronauts on the ISS are volunteering for what could be a suicide mission, I'm not exposed to a force that can overwhelm me because there's three people at most who have probably been floating in free fall for several _farn_ , and the people on the ground are protected as well because the ISS is isolated.”

Donghae sighed loudly, and Hyukjae smiled.

“I dislike like it, but I do understand the logic. I will follow you and maintain a patrol around this... ISS. It looks undefended.”

“It is,” Hyukjae said, flipping his engines on to boost him out of orbit. “It's made for scientific research, not as a line of defense. Song Qian, this could take a while.”

“Understood. I will maintain a patrol.”

“I am sending you the data for needed supplies,” Amber said. “Zhou Mi will be awake in another standard.”

Hyukjae looked over. “Confirmed, the data is received. All right Donghae, let's go see what's in store at the ISS.”

Earth loomed larger in his screen as he piloted closer, his instruments easily picking up the orbit of the ISS. “ISS, _Pioneer_ , I'm on approach on far side,” he said into the communicator.

“ _Pioneer_ , ISS, confirmed for approach. Welcome home, Commander.”

Hyukjae smiled a little sadly as he cut his engines and hit the thrusters a couple of times to match the ISS's orbital speed, and after a full minute of making sure that he was matched and aligned, he rolled his ship to expose the opening along the bottom, nudging himself closer to the airlock. Once his ship was safely docked and on standby, he unbuckled himself to open the hatch.

“Hello,” he called out in his native Korean.

A face floated into view. “Welcome back to the ISS, Commander,” came the reply in slightly accented English.

Hyukjae smiled. “Permission to come in?” he replied in kind.

“Float on up.”

Aside from the motion sickness induced nausea of free fall, Hyukjae found it relatively easy to sit through the brief medical exam and provide the commander of the ISS a short report about his experiences while being lost in space. Once he'd finished his report, he finished the meeting by saying that he needed to return to his ship.

“All right, I'll forward this down to see what the higher-ups say.”

Hyukjae glanced out of the window, seeing blue water and white clouds swirling in storm systems. “Does it matter?”

“Hm?”

“I can't live there anymore,” he said, gesturing out the window. “I'd never be able to live in peace. I'd be constantly put under medical review, constantly interrogated...” He shook his head. “It doesn't matter what they say, if I could come back... I don't live on Earth anymore. I'm _from_ there, but I don't live there. If I can land on the surface again, it's only going to be long enough to pick up.” He sighed. “Look, I have information that every government on Earth needs. They have things that I want. If they're willing to trade, they need to let me know within the next day.”


	2. the space around earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for mentions of homophobia. (ps smut in the middle)

Within three days, and some rather vicious negotiating, Hyukjae found himself dropping through Earth's atmosphere, the wind currents shaking the smaller cargo ship he and Amber were piloting. He slightly corrected their course, seeing Hawaii zip by as they flew stealthed over the Pacific Ocean. Double checking the coordinates, he started throttling back power while Amber corrected for their dropping altitudes as they approached the uninhabited island that had been designated as their landing site.

 

“Donghae, we're going to be landing soon. Is there anything in the area?”

“One large ocean-going vessel, military, several _li_ off the coast.”

“All right, though it was probably used for supplies, keep your eye on it.”

“Confirmed.”

 

Well below air traffic, Amber turned off stealth and he performed small corrections while they gently touched down on the uninhabited island. She placed the engines on standby before they both unbuckled themselves and unholstered their weapons. “Eight lifeforms, as agreed,” she said. “No mass weaponry or radioactivity aside from what is already around, so they are keeping their bargain.”

“Probably too scared to try anything at the moment. I'll go greet them.”

Amber nodded. “I will be close.”

Hyukjae pushed the cargo door open, waiting impatiently for it to clear out of the way, but appreciative of the time for his eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight. He kept a tight grip on his weapon, even though he kept it lowered. “Identify yourselves,” he called out in English and repeating in Korean, only spotting three faces, but given the multitude of legs, he guessed the Earth-bound were also playing things safe by putting the military in front.

He mentally matched names and faces to the information he was given, and he smiled as his mother pushed past the front, thankfully sparing the admiral leaning heavily on a cane, and sprinted towards him. He stepped towards her, his arms opening and his eyes filling with tears. She slammed against him with almost her full weight, and he stumbled for a second before curving around her shorter body.

“Mom...” He couldn't hold back his emotions any longer and started crying in earnest against her shoulder, feeling more arms encircle him, and he soaked up the feeling of seeing his family once more. Both of his parents were patting his back, and he pulled back, sniffing and wiping his eyes with his free hand. “Hi,” he said, not bothering to cover his grin.

His mother was still crying, but Sora and his father were sniffling along with him. He squeezed his mother's hand and took a deep breath. “Come aboard,” he called. “Amber?” he said, turning his head. Amber stepped into view, her weapon still in hand, but lowered. “We have our guests, while they're getting aboard, I'll load up the supplies,” he said, smiling.

Amber smiled and nodded once. She stood to the side, her weapon still out, as everyone slowly filed onto the ship with their carried gear, several of the military officials staring at her suspiciously as they slipped past her.

Once the cargo sled was sliding down the ramp, he guided the flat sheet of metal to the pile of supplies and grabbed the sensors to place on the cargo. Slapping the sensors on the top and bottom edges of the netted cargo along with placing a sensor on the corners and sides, he was glad that it was all in one place.

 

When he was finished, he placed the unused sensors back on the sled's side to indicate that the cargo was ready to be loaded. Having loaded cargo so many times before made him fast and accurate at it, and he shoved his foot down on a corner of the floating, empty sled, which tilted the sled just enough for the sensors to register. Quickly withdrawing his foot, the sled sent out a burst of gravity, centered on the sensors, which pulled the cargo onto the sled. He pushed the sled back towards the ship, starting the pre-programmed sequence to get the sled back onto the ship.

Hopping back aboard, he only holstered his weapon when he saw that everyone was strapped in.

“I'll start the engines,” he quietly told Amber, who was still standing by the doorway.

Amber nodded, watching the sled climb up the ramp.

Sliding into his seat, he pulled the engines from standby, but only had them idling since the ship was nearly impossible to fly alone. “Donghae, we have all our cargo, we're headed back to the ship.”

“Confirmed,” Donghae replied, his voice obviously relieved even though he had probably been circling the island for the entire time.

“Korean?” Sora asked.

“Huh?” he replied, and then realized what his sister was asking. “Oh! No, he hears that in his own language.” He reached over and grabbed the neatly placed square vials on a tray. “Here, take one, take off the top and breathe this in through your nose. It's a safe way for you to understand all the languages you will ever hear.” He repeated the instructions in English.

 

“What is it?” the medic who had introduced herself rather grumpily as Zoe Vasconcelos asked skeptically.

“From what I’ve been told, it’s a long-lived non-bacterial microscopic organism that will attach itself to the language center of your brain and instantaneously translate every language you will ever hear into a language you already understand.” He repeated himself for his family and for Park Seungchul, explaining far more quickly in his native language. “I understand that they absorb a tiny amount of nutrients from your blood, no more than what any of the bacteria we have in our stomachs do.”

Sora was the first to open the top of her vial, followed by his mother and father. Petty Officer Samuel Latu and Seungchul glanced at each other, shrugged, and opened the vials, sniffing deeply.

 

“There are more languages in the galaxy than you would ever be able to learn in fifteen lifetimes, and I have much better things to be doing than translating for you,” he told the others that were looking skeptically at the vials. By the time Amber had secured the sled, everyone had sniffed at their vials.

 

Amber smirked as she passed by him. “We are ready to depart, please stay strapped in,” she warned. “We do not float around while in flight, but we do not need you wandering around and distracting me from piloting.”

 

Settling himself into the second pilot chair, he felt the small rumble as the engines fought gravity to get them airborne. “Mission Control, this is _Cargo One_ , we have our passengers and supplies, headed for our ship,” he said into the communicator, glad he would be able to speak normally again.

 

“ _Cargo One_ , Mission Control. Understood. We'll see you in a few days.”

 

He flipped the stealthing generators, cloaking the cargo ship as Amber quickly rose through the atmosphere. He corrected and stabilized the flight path, watching the holograms indicating air traffic and satellites. Once into the boundary of space, Amber paused, waiting for the holographic confirmation that Donghae's attacker ship was following before making way for the Moon, where they would circle around towards where the ship was resting on Phobos.

 

“How fast are we traveling?” came the startled question as the Moon came into view.

 

“Pretty fast, I gave up thinking about how many laws of physics we break constantly,” Hyukjae answered, keeping his attention focused on the panel and not particularly caring about who spoke. “I'm sure you'll have to rewrite a lot of physics books when you get back, and please don't ask me about Einstein. I haven't had much of a chance to work out the math of why this movement at greater speed doesn't affect time.”

 

“It doesn't?”

 

“Nope. Have fun breaking your brain on that one,” Hyukjae blithely replied as Mars began to look larger.

“Hyukjae? Amber?” Song Qian asked from the console.

“Yes, it's us,” he replied, flipping the stealthing generators off.

“Welcome back. Donghae just arrived.”

He shared a look with Amber, both of them amused.

“Show off,” Amber muttered. “Is the hangar open?”

“Yes. We will meet you there.”

Throttling their power back as they approached the ship, he absorbed himself in slowing their speed and providing fine corrections as Amber performed the bulk of piloting the cargo ship into the large hangar. Amber dropped the cargo ship exactly where it had taken off from, and began flipping off the engines. Placing the entire console on standby, he walked over to the cargo door and shunted enough power to lower the door.

 

He cursed when the door shuddered as it broke the air and pressure seal, but didn't move beyond that.

 

“Stuck again?” Amber asked.

 

“Yeah. We must not have gotten enough of an energy transfer dropping into the atmosphere plus what residual is left.” He sighed. “Which one do you want?”

 

Amber wrinkled her nose, she replied predictably. “Lever.”

 

“All right, I'll climb up.” He pulled his protective space suit off, leaving him in his normal heat-retaining clothes, and he grabbed the gloves that stayed wedged in a crevice. Pulling them on, he scaled the bars up to where he was hanging in front of where the ramp met the side of the ship. Swinging his legs, he got enough movement to give it a solid kick as Amber shoved the manual lever to lower the ramp.

 

Grunting with the effort of swinging his body, he was already annoyed when the second kick still hadn't dislodged the ramp.

 

“Where is it stuck at?”

 

Hyukjae shot a baleful look down at the admiral. “It's not down there. Luckily for you-” he grunted as he slammed his feet against the ramp again. “This isn't the first time it's done this. The seal will crack, but the gears up here won't move.” Feeling his hands start to slip, he adjusted his grip and kicked a couple of more times. “Will you just fucking _move already_ ,” he snarled at the door, landing yet another blow.

 

The ramp shuddered to life, and Hyukjae let himself drop down, sinking almost to the floor to absorb the impact.

 

“So annoying,” he muttered, shaking his arms before putting the gloves back where he'd gotten them, knowing that they would be needed again.

 

“That happen often?” Samuel Latu asked, looking at the ramp.

 

Hyukjae smiled. “Often enough. It's amazing the things that you learn to deal with when you're a wanted criminal and can't just stroll into a drydock.” He unstrapped the sled, shoving it to get it moving down the ramp. “Besides, that's just an annoyance, it's not going to get me killed. We try and fix those things first.”

 

“Try,” Amber repeated gleefully.

 

“Are you done?” Deokbon asked, arching her eyebrows in an all too familiar way as she pulled up the handle of her suitcase.

 

Hyukjae tried for his innocent look. “Yes, Mom,” he replied, mildly chastised. He followed the sled down, making sure that it made its way to the automated unloaders. “Welcome to our humble home,” he said, waving his hand towards the airlock.

 

“Is it just me,” Alex Nelson, the official diplomat from the US Embassy in Korea, began, pressing a hand to her chest, “or is anyone else finding it a little hard to breathe?”

 

“We don't pressurize this hangar much,” Amber said, pointing at the airlock. “It takes too much power and is a waste of resources. Go through the airlock and it will be more comfortable.”

 

“Great, add oxygen deprivation to my urgent need for a vacation,” Zoe muttered crankily as she stomped towards the airlock, the bun she'd pulled her hair into bouncing with every step and wrapping an arm around Alex's waist to haul her along.

 

Hyukjae looked at the admiral, blinking. “If she kills you for interrupting her vacation, that's not in any way my fault,” he said before picking up his spacesuit and the admiral's bag and headed straight for the airlock. He waited until the admiral had caught up before opening the lock and they were quickly cycled through.

 

He blinked at both Song Qian and Zhou Mi greeting everyone in formal clothing – it had been a long time since he'd seen either of them in their colorful formal wear – and he smiled slightly as he saw Donghae standing behind them and quietly greeting as well, though he was more subdued in the dark clothing that was their normal wear. Donghae caught his eyes as soon as everyone had been greeted and tilted his head, indicating he was going to leave. He nodded, but as soon as he could, he was going to find his lover.

 

 

 

He found Donghae in the exercise room as soon as he could gracefully run away, beating at a training dummy. From the moves, it looked like Donghae was almost done, so Hyukjae simply waited for him to finish up. With a final punch, Donghae stopped and looked at him, arching his eyebrows. Hyukjae strolled to him, licking his lips slightly, as he looked over Donghae's lean form, covered slightly in sweat. He only stopped a small bit away from Donghae, pressing him back against the dummy. Hyukjae smiled and nudged his nose against Donghae's. “Hey,” he said, wrapping his arms around the training dummy and pressing closer to his lover.

 

“Hi,” Donghae replied, the corners of his lips tilting up. “I would have thought you would be occupied with the governmental people and your family.”

 

Hyukjae scrunched his nose up. “I ran away. Once they settle down from the giddiness of being on an actual spaceship and meeting non-humans, I'll try and talk to them again.”

 

“You wanted to protect your species.”

 

Hyukjae sighed. “Yeah I'm kind of regretting that now.”

 

Donghae snorted. “So vicious,” he teased.

 

“Oh I can show you _vicious_ ,” Hyukjae replied back, ducking his head and pressing his lips against Donghae's. As always, their lips easily parted, and Hyukjae moaned happily as his tongue plunged into Donghae's mouth. He'd always kept a thought safely in the back of his head that it was almost as if his “accident” (so termed by the Earth-bound) had been ordained to get him to Donghae, since neither of them were really in positions to meet otherwise.

 

Donghae looked far more relaxed as their lips parted, and Hyukjae grinned when he saw Donghae's eyes. The normally brown irises were already rimmed with the bright blue that would eventually dominate when Donghae reached orgasm.

 

“Your eyes are turning,” he said, placing soft kisses down the side of Donghae's face.

 

“I know,” Donghae mumbled back, no embarrassment to be found anymore. “If you are planning on going back to your officials, I would strongly suggest not proceeding any further.”

 

Hyukjae snorted against Donghae's skin. “I'm thinking about engaging in a different form of diplomacy. One that involves a lack of clothing for both of us.”

 

Donghae smirked. “That sounds like a productive use of time before our scheduled meal.”

 

Hyukjae barked a laugh and pulled back a little. “Yeah, just try to not scream loud enough for the entire ship to hear you again. I'd like to be able to look at my family still.”

 

Donghae's head shook slightly. “Sex is an activity; I still fail to see how it is such a taboo subject among your people.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged and followed Donghae to their cabin. Their clothes were already hitting the floor even before the door closed behind them, offering only the barest hint of privacy, but Hyukjae had learned to adapt. He and Donghae fell back into their sleeping pad, their fingers tracing random patters in their skin, softly stroking across erogenous zones that they both knew so well.

 

He pressed his lips against Donghae's, craving the closeness, and felt a little more _normal_ than he had ever since they had landed in the solar system. This small cell that he shared with Donghae was _home_ for him now, and he felt a little giddy because he was not only home with Donghae, but he was also home with his planet. Donghae was softly stroking the scars along his rib cage, and he lightly tugged on Donghae's hair. “How do you want to come?”

 

Donghae grinned, his eyes nearly glowing. Hyukjae huffed out a breath as Donghae easily rolled him onto his back and straddled his waist. “Like this,” he said, already shifting his hips back.

 

Hyukjae grinned back, his fingers grabbing at the ever present bottle. Once his fingers were covered in the lubricant, he watched Donghae's mouth drop open as he slipped two fingers inside Donghae's body. “I love watching you,” he said.

 

“You love me,” Donghae returned simply, the softness in his voice belying his own feelings for Hyukjae in return.

 

“As much as you love me,” Hyukjae agreed, stretching his lover out enough to slide another finger inside.

 

Most words left them as they let the pleasure take them over, moans and the gasps of each other's names saying more than words ever could. Donghae's low groan as Hyukjae slid fully into him made his heart flip, knowing what a mark of trust Donghae chose to give him by making himself completely vulnerable. Hyukjae let Donghae control the pace, the initial slow rolls of hips turning to sharp thrusts downward. Hyukjae stared up at Donghae, the pleasure contorting his face, and he thought he'd never seen anyone so gorgeous.

 

Donghae's eyes glowed, the blue seeming both natural and yet out of place, as he leaned down to capture Hyukjae's lips. Hyukjae pulled Donghae closer, pulling his knees up to get some leverage to keep thrusting up, and when Donghae twitched on top of him, he spread Donghae's legs a little more as he thrust his hips up into his more than willing lover. Donghae's back arched suddenly, a loud cry echoing through the cells and down the hall.

 

“ _Hyukjae_ ,” he whined, the blue intensifying in his eyes.

 

One more thrust had both of them screaming, Donghae collapsing down and breathing hard, smearing his come all over Hyukjae's stomach. Hyukjae looped his arms up, holding Donghae in place as he placed soft kisses along the side of Donghae's face. “Want me to pull out?” he whispered.

 

Donghae shook his head and grunted. “Just for a short time, please?”

 

Hyukjae nodded and ran his fingers through Donghae's hair, letting Donghae savor his orgasm and begin to relax around him. When Donghae finally shifted, lifting himself off Hyukjae, Hyukjae couldn't resist running his hands down Donghae's sides.

 

“We should refresh and then go find our guests,” Donghae said, his eyes dark and calm again.

 

Hyukjae sighed, wanting nothing more than to shove half of their _guests_ out of the nearest airlock, but he nodded and followed Donghae into the small cleaning unit. He absolutely _hated_ the air-powered cleaning, and he grabbed every opportunity to take an actual water shower when he could find one. As the pressurized air dislodged dirt, oils, sweat, and Donghae's come off his skin, he scrunched his nose up. Hopefully with the additional power, they'd be able to use the luxurious water showers again from the additional filtration.

 

Donghae giggled as the air cut off and kissed him lightly. “I will ask Song Qian if she was able to get the water filters additional power as well.”

 

Hyukjae laughed. “I think everyone knows my hatred of these.”

 

“Useful, but yes, annoying,” Donghae agreed.

 

Stepping back into their clothes and shoes, they walked up to the crew area since Hyukjae mentioned that the automatic loaders should have delivered the food that was part of the cargo he brought up. To his surprise, his mother was already there with Amber, and his mouth instantly watered as soon as he caught the smell of the kimchi.

 

“Are you cooking?” he asked greedily nearly running to inhale the tasty, familiar scent. Deokbon hummed an affirmative and Hyukjae nearly shot to attention. “What do you need me to do?” He knew he'd go to almost any lengths to get a good sized portion of his mother's cooking again.

 

“Just answer me if Donghae is your boyfriend or not,” came the quick reply. Amber smiled at him and vacated her spot to go to Donghae, who had started to clear off the table of the ever-present food cubes.

 

Hyukjae blushed, but smiled. “Yeah, I guess you could call him that.”

 

“What do you call him?”

 

Hyukjae looked over at Donghae, who was puttering around the table, expanding it, and felt the contentment and love suffuse him. “Everything,” he answered softly. “He's the one I want to live for,” he said, remembering the advice he'd gotten so long ago from her. He felt the soft pats to his face and he leaned into his mother's touch.

 

“Now I understand even more why you won't come home.”

 

“Are you mad?” he asked softly, watching Amber move around the table with her twin.

 

“You're _alive_. I was hurt, yes, but I understand why you can only come back for short visits. You've found another family out of necessity, and you want to stay with them. Park Seungchul also did say that it would be doubtful you would ever be able to live quietly by yourself, but I know you'd never be able to live with him down there, too,” she said with another mix of the kimchi with her still-gloved hand.

 

Hyukjae smiled. “I don't have to lie out here either,” he said, remembering the crashing relief that no one thought his attraction to men was weird or disgusting, and it was more just a normal part of life on most of the places he'd visited. “We call each other what we are, we don't have to hide behind anything.”

 

“I suspect that brings you far more comfort than what you want to admit to, as well.”

 

“Yeah it does. It's nice.”

 

Deokbon nodded. “Then no, we're not mad. We're just grateful you're alive. Where's all of the bowls?”

 

“I'll get them,” he said. “When did you make the kimchi?”

 

“Yesterday, but since it's been flying around, I just wanted to make sure it was still mixed properly.”

 

The prospect of anything other than food cubes had Zhou Mi and Song Qian quickly showing up as well to provide any assistance. After a while his father appeared, sheepishly admitting that it took him a while to figure out the toilet when he showed up with Sora, whose piqued look started to smooth out at the smell of food.

 

He paused from setting the table when Sora grabbed his arm and slipped him out into the hallway. “Hyukjae... I don't know how, but they know about you and Donghae being... involved. I overheard them talking and...”

 

Hyukjae smiled and gave his older sister a hug. “Noona, they can't do anything to me anymore. I'm either still listed as missing in space or dead, and it's doubtful that they'll change that because it'll cause too many questions. I'm not under their command, so they can't do anything to me. The _only_ reason that they're even here is because I needed to see you and Mom and Dad, and I couldn't leave without that happening and at least warning you about what to do if a flagship suddenly shows up.”

 

Sora bit her lip, her eyebrows quirking. “Is that bad?”

 

Hyukjae sighed. “Yeah, noona. It's bad. There's some really cool stuff, but there's also the really, really nasty stuff to go along with it. I'll tell you after we eat and then rest, okay?”

 

“Okay,” she agreed.

 

“Don't worry about them though. Out there... it doesn't matter who I love wherever I go. And hey, if they have objections, I can always introduce them to the nearest airlock, assuming that someone doesn't beat me to it,” he joked, just to try and pull a smile out of Sora. She looked up at him, a little shocked, but finally smiled back at his rueful grin.

 

He'd forgotten how much his sense of humor had warped from the last time any of his family had seen him. He knew that he was far more morally ambiguous and he'd probably need to watch himself and what and how he said it – at least until he could explain _why_ to his family.

 

“Hyukjae? Is everything well?”

 

Hyukjae turned and smiled at Donghae. “Yeah, it's fine.”

 

“Noona was just feeling overprotective of both of you,” she told Donghae. “Is it time to eat?”

 

“Yes,” Donghae replied, a touch of shyness in his voice. Sora patted his shoulder as she slipped back into the crew area, but Donghae's hand on his arm stilled him when he was going to follow. “Noo-” Donghae tried, his tongue tripping over the unfamiliar word that wasn't translated.

 

“Noona,” Hyukjae said slowly. “It's how you respectfully call an older sister in my language. Amber would use eonnie.”

 

“Noona, noona,” Donghae repeated, trying to become more familiar with the word. “Noona,” he finally said, nodding to indicate that he had the pronunciation and meaning assimilated.

 

“Perfect,” Hyukjae praised, tugging at the waistline of Donghae's pants to pull him closer. “That was noona saying that you're family, by the way.”

 

Donghae smiled and shyly ducked his head. “Really?”

 

“Yeah. My family already really likes you.”

 

With a happy noise, Donghae launched himself towards Hyukjae and gave him an enthusiastic, but chaste kiss. “What about Amber?” he asked, only somewhat jokingly when he pulled back from Hyukjae's lips.

 

Hyukjae grinned. “I don't know if they’ve figured out that Amber's your twin sister yet. I haven't told them, but I know that they'd accept her just as easily as you.” He caught Donghae's face in his hands and set their foreheads together. “You both have survived, and you both are loved the way you are now,” he reassured. He'd repeat those words until the end of time without complaint for as long as Donghae needed to take comfort in them.

 

Donghae smiled at him, his eyes flashing blue for a second before settling back to brown and then nodding. They shared another kiss, the comfort of their lips meeting too much of a temptation to miss out on.

 

Hyukjae jerked, his hand instinctively going for his weapon, when he heard the gasp. Donghae already had his hand on his weapon when Hyukjae curled his fingers around Donghae's wrist to still the movement. “Come and join us for a meal,” he offered calmly to the five people who had come to a halt slightly down the hallway. He was guessing that Alex was the one to make noise, given the covered mouth and slightly judging looks being shot her way.

 

Donghae relaxed slightly and gave Hyukjae another kiss before slipping back inside the crew area. Hyukjae waited for a moment to have the others move closer before he blocked their way. “I'll give you one good piece of advice while you're on our ship,” he said lowly. “Do not _ever_ try to sneak up on any of us. If you do...” he shrugged. “Well, you get what you deserve.” Spinning on his heel, he walked in to the crew area and putting the blank and shocked looks behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated.


	3. the space there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for the implications of not nice things happening (torture, genetic modification, attempted rape)

He woke up curled up into the space Donghae's body had left on their moderately sized sleeping pad. Sighing, he relaxed and tried to sort out in his head what he was going to say, how he was going to say it, and in what order. He'd probably have to let the others guide his chronology for a while, his memory failing at points. He looked up at Donghae when he felt the soft fingers against his face and smiled.

 

“Did you rest well?” Donghae softly asked.

 

“Yes. Did you?”

 

Donghae nodded a quick agreement. “You look as though you were lost.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged a shoulder. “Not lost, just trying to sort things in my head,” he admitted. “I have to tell them how dangerous the Zhang are to Earth... but I don't know how? Like what do I tell them? There's so much...”

 

Donghae shrugged and moved closer to him, looping a leg over Hyukjae's. “I am sure that you will find the words with us there with you.”

 

“You don't have to, you know.”

 

“But we wish to be there. Our stories will add to yours. We are not so selfish as to wish our fate upon your home planet, and if this will prevent that fate, we will find words for which there is none. If we are there, then we all share our horrors together.”

 

Hyukjae smiled. “It also makes them a little less horrible.”

 

Donghae shrugged. “Shared pain is lessened, shared joy is increased.”

 

“I'm going to see if I can get that book for you,” Hyukjae said, recognizing the quote.

 

“It seems as if the writers of your world have some good advice,” Donghae admitted.

 

“Awake?” Amber asked from outside the cell that functioned as their room.

 

“Yes,” Donghae said.

 

“Would you like me go relieve Song Qian so that you can have sex?”

 

Hyukjae still could never stop the giggles at the matter of fact tone. Burying his face against Donghae's chest, he laughed to himself.

 

“Do you want to have sex?” Donghae asked him.

 

Hyukjae smiled and kissed Donghae. “Doesn't matter to me, I'm good either way.”

 

“Let us attend to informing your people first... and then we will have sex.”

 

His smirk was matched by Donghae's. “That sounds like a plan. Preferably with you inside me for at least a standard,” he whispered, nipping at Donghae's lips before pushing himself up on the sleeping pad and grabbing his pants and pulling them on. “We'll be up in a short time,” he told Amber through the open lattice of the cell wall.

 

Amber nodded and began to leave, only stopping when Hyukjae called her name.

 

“Your hair,” he reminded, seeing that her short hair was spiking in odd places from where she had been sleeping. Amber quickly patted her hair, trying to get it organized. With it only being five of them on the ship, no one really cared about the various states of dress or undress or how they looked after sleeping, but after a while, they had begun to remind each other of their appearance, knowing it was much easier to blend in and evade detection if they remembered to take care of that.

 

“Better?” she asked, her golden eyes wide and making her seem much younger and far more innocent than she was.

 

Hyukjae grinned and slipped out of the room to run his fingers through Amber's hair, pushing down the few pieces that were still sticking up. “There,” he announced.

 

Amber gave him a hug to express her thanks before hopping out through the permanently open airlock that was supposed to separate their cells from the main part of the ship.

 

“Is it time to awaken?” Zhou Mi asked sleepily as he stumbled through his open cell.

 

“Go back to sleep, you were up for nearly a full _farn_ ,” Hyukjae told the taller man. “Join us when you wake up naturally.”

 

Zhou Mi shook his head. “It is time to warn your people, I will be awake for that. I heard that your people might have brought a stimulant beverage...?”

 

“Coffee,” he identified immediately. “Hardly anyone in the military will go anywhere without it. It's really bitter, but I'll get you a cup.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded and went back into his room to retrieve his shirt.

 

When he and Donghae wandered into the main flight area, it was definitely more crowded than he was used to seeing. Song Qian sat relaxed in one of the pilot chairs that she'd spun around and she gifted them with a smile as they arrived. “Did you have a pleasant rest?” she greeted over the noise as the military personnel tried to interpret the data they were getting.

 

“We did,” Donghae replied. “Is the... coffee... available for Zhou Mi?” he politely asked.

 

“Why?” Admiral Don Thorn asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

 

“He was up for nearly a full _farn_ between watch and repairs.”

 

“How long is a _farn_?” Zoe asked.

 

Hyukjae blanked for a second and rolled his eyes upwards as he calculated. “Uh... hang on, I had the conversion worked out. One standard is about three hours and fifteen minutes, there's twelve standards in a _farn_... about thirty-nine hours,” he answered.

 

“And now my next medical question of why is he not sleeping after being up for almost a day and a half?” she continued. “Does he not need that much sleep?”

 

“Because he wants to be here for the talk we're going to have.”

 

“Something tells me that no one is going to particularly like what you have to say,” Samuel said, leaning on a large forearm against the holographic projection.

 

“Probably not, but you aren't just up here for a pleasure cruise in space,” Hyukjae tossed off. “Coffee?”

 

“Here,” Seungchul answered, holding out a thermos.

 

It still took another fifteen minutes before everyone was finally gathered and in various comfortable positions. Hyukjae was seated on the floor, leaning back on his hands while Donghae happily sipped on a cup of coffee next to him, apparently enjoying the bitter flavor. Amber had allowed the admiral to sit in her normal seat while she leaned comfortably against Song Qian's legs, and everyone else was comfortably spread out across the floor.

 

“All right Commander, what is your report?” the admiral asked.

 

“Do you want me to go in chronological order or order of threat?” Hyukjae asked seriously.

 

“Let's go in time,” Seungchul said. “It should at least let us get used to the players.”

 

“Right as I started to make another broadcast to Mission Control, _Pioneer_ entered a wormhole. When I exited the wormhole, I was on a collision course with a Zhang Empire flagship, not that I knew that at the time. I did my best to avoid it, but _Pioneer_ became caught on one of spikes they surround their flight deck with, and the entire back half was torn off. The engines with the wormhole generator impacted onto the flight deck, and tiny pieces of shrapnel cut through my spacesuit, making me pass out. I woke up, the Zhang found out I couldn't understand a damn thing, shoved the translator bugs up my nose and proceeded to interrogate me while I was still pretty loopy from oxygen deprivation.”

 

“Did they get any information?”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “I have no idea, to be honest. I don't even remember what they were asking me, but apparently I didn't give them anything except my name, that I piloted _Pioneer_ , and that I was from a planet called Earth. The next time I woke up it was right in the middle of a riot,” he complained, arching his eyebrows at Donghae.

 

The others of the crew all either smiled or laughed at the memory. Donghae's eyes turned up as he smiled into his coffee. “They should not have attempted to separate us,” he said in between sips of coffee. “Especially with as dangerous as they knew both of us to be.”

 

“Uh... you two...?” Samuel asked, gesturing between Hyukjae and Donghae.

 

“No. The former crew attempted to take Amber away,” Donghae said.

 

“Huh?”

 

Hyukjae snorted a laugh. “What would you do if the captain of a prison ship tried to take your twin sister away from you to have her be a concubine?”

 

“I... I'd start a riot as well,” Samuel replied ruefully.

 

“Is that how you came to command this ship?” the admiral asked.

 

“In a very roundabout kind of way, yes. It was several _farn_ before it was just us on this ship,” Hyukjae said, glossing over some of the more unsavory points of the full takeover of the ship, including him almost getting spaced until Amber saved him just before he was shoved naked into an airlock by other former prisoners, and his own bouts with murder.

 

“What happened to everyone else?” his father asked.

 

Hyukjae blew out his breath. “Mostly dead. A few left while on restock missions or were returned to their home planets, but other than us... death seems to be the main way off.”

 

“You made mention of being wanted criminals, is it just taking over the ship? What kind of legal structure are we talking about?” Alex asked.

 

“Do you want the actual list or can we just gloss over it and say that it's whatever the Zhang accuse you of?” Hyukjae tried. “Zhou Mi?”

 

Zhou Mi shrugged an elegant shoulder. “It depends on where one is accused of the crime. On a planet, the administrator or a designate will hear the accusation and hear of evidence, and pass sentence there. On a ship... whatever punishment the captain feels is immediately carried out.”

 

Alex made a few notes in her notebook and nibbled on the top of her pen. “So there's no due process for prisoners? You can just be accused of whatever and punishment is immediately performed?”

 

“Essentially yes. Does that matter?”

 

“Well it would go into the determination if the United States would be willing to offer asylum to those accused unjustly...”

 

Song Qian laughed. “So they'll just raze your planet for harboring fugitives.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “The Zhang do not recognize asylum, or the fractured status of individual nation-states. I am only familiar with the term because of my association with Hyukjae.”

 

“Let's table that discussion about legal systems for now,” the admiral said. “No asylum and no trials, got it. What kind of options would we have if a flagship shows up in orbit?”

 

“Join or die,” Hyukjae said. “There are several systems that are only loosely aligned with the Zhang. The Zhang show up, the planet offers tribute of whatever resources they have, the Zhang go away. That would probably be Earth's best option in that occurrence, unless something completely drastic happens.”

 

“Drastic how?” the admiral questioned.

 

“Drastic as if someone gets twitchy and launches a nuke into orbit – which doesn't do a damn thing by the way – the Zhang will see that as a declaration of war and depending on the captain's mood, they'll either raze the highest population cities and accept a surrender, or they'll raze a few cities and then drop onto the planet to accept tribute in the form of children and babies to be used as slaves. Staying hidden is the best option.”

 

With that sobering reality, Hyukjae waited for the next question. “Out of curiosity,” Seungchul said. “What exactly are you accused of?”

 

“Depends which of us you're asking,” Hyukjae said. “I'm not trying to be deliberately obstructing here. The amounts of this will vary for each of us, but I think we all have destruction of at least one Zhang ship, murder, commandeering, piracy, looting, theft, inciting riots... what did I miss?” he asked rhetorically.

 

“Distribution of weaponry,” Song Qian said.

 

“Harboring criminals,” Zhou Mi added.

 

“Illegal movement between worlds,” Amber said after thinking about it for a moment.

 

“Evading punishment,” Donghae finished.

 

Hyukjae nodded. “Yeah that's about it.”

 

“Is there a crime you _haven't_ been accused of?” Alex asked, her pen again hanging out of her mouth.

 

“Oh no, that's what we've actually _done_ ,” Hyukjae clarified. “Our _accused_ crimes list is a lot longer, including things that are just invented.”

 

“I enjoyed the one about us blowing up a star system,” Zhou Mi said, his lips quirking. “I want to know how we did that.”

 

“You and me both,” Hyukjae replied with a laugh. “Because the last time I checked, that thing was just an uninhabited asteroid.”

 

“Okay, yet another discussion to be shelved,” the admiral broke in. “What happened after you took command of this ship?”

 

Hyukjae's smile faltered a little and he felt Donghae's hand slip into his. He'd really kind of hoped to avoid this part of the story with the distracting side story. “We ran from world to world, trading where we could for needed supplies, and stealing from the Zhang for whatever else we needed. We kind of established ourselves as shipping dealers that didn’t ask questions and would be willing to transport anyone or anything for a price.” He paused and swallowed. “Then I got caught. Apparently my earlier assertions that I was from a world that no one knew was passed on to higher ups in the chain of authority. It saved my life, in a way.”

 

“But?”

 

Hyukjae sighed and stood. Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he lifted it along his left side, exposing the scarring across his rib cage and spreading across his back. Pulling the shirt off entirely, he shivered at the cool air (or tried to convince himself that it was the cool air and not the remembered sensations) and showed off the dark ink that was embedded into his skin across his upper back and the scars that trailed down from it. He heard the high gasps, but took a moment to himself facing away from everyone by pulling his shirt back on.

 

“That,” he answered simply, not trusting himself to look at his family.

 

“What happened?”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “I think you call it 'enhanced interrogation,'” he replied flatly. “I don't remember much.”

 

“What do you remember?”

 

Hyukjae stared at the admiral, whose knuckles were white where he gripped his cane. “Pain. They were able to rescue me after four _farn,_ ” he said, gesturing at the rest of the crew.

 

“You do not have to concern yourselves with given information,” Donghae said. The tone of his voice had Hyukjae looking over, not surprised to see Donghae's eyes beginning to turn to bright blue with the intense emotions.

 

“Why is that?”

 

“They are dead,” both Amber and Donghae chorused, both of their eyes glowing.

 

“You killed them?”

 

“Yes,” Donghae said, and Hyukjae knew he was remembering the halls of blood from where they had applied all of their training and instinct to track him down in the room he was placed in. Placing his hand over Donghae's, he steadily met the glowing blue eyes until Donghae's lips quirked upwards.

 

“How long ago was... that?” Deokbon asked, her voice quivering.

 

“About my second year out here.” He shrugged and steadily looked at his family. Sora still had her mouth covered and tears streaming out of her eyes while his father had a protective arm around his mother. “I kind of lost track of time. But we've been fortunate enough since to have been one step ahead of them or been able to hide in time. There are places that are friendly towards us and will provide us food and shelter for a short time and we take care to not overstay our welcome or bring danger to them.”

 

“Something tells me that a lot more has happened than what you're saying,” the admiral commented.

 

Hyukjae smirked, needing to get past that particularly painful chapter of his life in space. “Are you wanting to know _that_ much about my personal life?” he needled. “Because that's about all else that's happened.”

 

“Spare the sordid details,” his father chided. “We can gather enough from clues.”

 

“So what is the story with the twins and the freaky eye thing? No offense,” Samuel asked, leaning back but never losing his alertness.

 

Hyukjae looked between Donghae and Amber, then over to Zhou Mi, who lifted a shoulder.

 

“We were taken as tribute when we were babies, stripped of family and any name that we had been given,” Amber said, her voice calm. “We were given to the Zhou patriarch and were genetically modified, trained to be his personal bodyguards and assassins. In order to isolate us from others, we were altered to be telepathic enough to sense danger, and with wild animal genes to change our eye color and increase our senses.”

 

“I freed them,” Zhou Mi said. “Hyukjae gave them the names they call themselves.”

 

“You were exiled for doing so,” Donghae replied.

 

“A small price to pay. I do not regret my actions.”

 

“How high up in the Zhang social structure were you to be given tribute?” Alex asked, the pen now tapping against her cheek.

 

“You gathered that information exceedingly quickly,” Zhou Mi pointed out.

 

“It's kind of my job to figure out who stands where in diplomatic functions,” she pointed out.

 

Zhou Mi smiled politely, but Hyukjae knew the man well enough to know that know that the quick uptake had startled him. “My patriarch’s clan is third in line for the consideration of Emperor,” he finally said.

 

“Pretty high up,” she commented, making a small note in her notebook.

 

“It no longer has any concern for me,” Zhou Mi stated. “I am exiled, stricken from the family records. I no longer exist to them, but I have gained a far more than I lost.”

 

“I think we all have gained,” Song Qian quietly pointed out, braiding her hair.

 

“What's your story ma'am? Why are you here?” Samuel asked.

 

Song Qian shrugged. “I was married off to increase my family's standing within the Empire. My former husband attempted to assert what he viewed as his right to my body, even though the marriage bed had been forbidden until I had reached a proper age. I corrected that assumption by killing him and burning the house. My family believes me to have perished in the blaze as well,” she said, gently running her hands through Amber's short hair. “I live freely. Is that the information you require?”

 

The admiral nodded, sighing deeply. “Commander Lee, anything further you would like to add?”

 

Hyukjae shook his head. “That's life out here. I'm sure someone would love to spin a fancy tale about how humans and Earth could incite a rebellion to overthrow the corrupt Zhang... but it would be a fairy tale.”

 

“There are stirrings,” Zhou Mi pointed out.

 

“Yes, but not a direct result from anything we have done. The corruption has taken root, and the powerful families are looking to set themselves up as the holders of the Mandate, not to help the bevy of worlds underneath them.”

 

“Wait, are we talking like a Mandate of Heaven thing here?” Seungchul asked. “Like what the dynasties in China claimed they had?”

 

“How do you know of the Mandate without contact?” Song Qian asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

 

Seungchul shrugged. “I studied Chinese history while I was at university. The ruling dynasty had the Mandate of Heaven unless they ruled unjustly and if a new dynasty was created, then the new emperor had the Mandate. The Zhou Dynasty used that as rationale when they overthrew the Shang.” He froze as he realized what he had just said. “Wait... Zhou...?”

 

“How long ago was this?” Zhou Mi asked.

 

“It was a few thousand years ago for us, I have no idea how you measure time.”

 

“It is possible, I suppose. There are others who have been exiled before me. It is possible that one of them had previously landed on your planet and established themselves as a ruler.”

 

“I am going for my rest now,” Song Qian announced, standing. “Hyukjae...”

 

“Yeah,” he replied, standing up as well. “I have watch. Rest well.” He slipped into the seat she had just vacated, rubbing his back against the pilot chair to scratch at the itch on his shoulder.

 

“If the repairs are almost complete on the hull, Twin and I will finish them,” Donghae offered, Amber nodding.

 

“I will remain available for you, Alex Nelson, to understand more of the legal and political structure of the Zhang,” Zhou Mi offered.

 

She smiled brightly, her eyes rounding. “Thank you,” she gushed. “That would be of _so_ much help for me.”

 

“Of course. Let us retire to the crew area so as not to interfere with watch.”

 

The admiral stood, pressing heavily onto the cane to support himself up. “I'll tag along with you, you might hit on something that could be useful to know.”

 

Hyukjae swung the pilot seat back and forth idly since the seat was still unlocked as others wandered away, leaving him mostly alone with his family.

 

“You gave the twins their names?” his father asked.

 

Hyukjae nodded. “Yeah, they were just... numbers, _things_. They never had anything to call each other aside from _twin_ and nothing for anyone else to call them. I suggested the names to them, and they liked them enough to use them.”

 

“Why those two names?”

 

“Their eyes,” Hyukjae answered easily. “Amber's eyes – which was literally the first part of her I remember seeing – reminded me so much of pieces of amber, especially when they start glowing.”

 

“And Donghae?”

 

“You saw how blue his are when they change. I remembered when we went on vacation to Ulsan and how blue the water was there, so... Donghae for the East Sea.”

 

“How long have you and Donghae been involved?” Sora asked, her eyes red and puffy.

 

“Two... no, almost three years ago, we agreed to have a relationship when we realized that we were already emotionally attached,” he answered, a smile spreading across his face. “As terrible as everything seems... meeting him has been more than enough compensation.”

 

“You'll live for him,” Deokbon said, nodding.

 

Hyukjae nodded back. “Just as he lived for me,” he said, continuing to swing from side to side. “If it wasn't for that whole thing about being wanted, we'd probably apply to be legally recognized.”

 

“You can kind of do what you want on your own ship,” his father pointed out.

 

Hyukjae laughed a little. “Yeah, I the others consider us an official couple anyway. It's really just paperwork for anything else.”

 

“How old are they?” Sora asked.

 

“Neither of them know exactly. They’re about the same age as Zhou Mi and when we had scans done, everyone on the ship is roughly the same age as me. You're still the noona.”

 

“Oh, one worry crossed off my list,” Sora returned drolly. “Seriously, how can you still laugh after everything?”

 

He shrugged. “It's either laugh at the absurdity of life, or be crushed under its weight. I won't lie, all of us still have nightmares from what we've experienced in our lives. But it's easier for us because we share our living space, and it does help having others near when you're not having a good day. We adapt and survive and keep going for another day. I can mostly forget about what they did to me. I can ignore the tattoo on my back and the scarring...” He smiled and shrugged. “Donghae has that well under control. That reminds me to ask how in the world you picked up on our relationship so fast. I mean, we don't exactly sneak around...”

 

“You have a type,” his mother said, “and as soon as he turned around after greeting us, I knew that you'd have at least a passing interest in him.”

 

Hyukjae froze for a second as soon as he realized exactly what his mother was saying. He laughed and buried his face in his hands as he realized what every single boy he'd ever been interested in had in common. “Oh my God, I never even realized that,” he said in between bursts of laughter.

 

“Then Sora overheard the military people talking, because one of them saw you two kissing in the gym, so it was more a confirmation that you were involved for us rather than finding out. I just didn't know at the time if it was purely physical or if there was emotional attachment as well.”

 

“Mom,” he whined, his ears heating up in embarrassment. “Next subject please...”

 

He talked with his family some more, thankfully moving on from his and Donghae's relationship, and tried to soothe them about the dangers he regularly faced as best he could until he caught their quickly covered yawns. He sent them off to bed, chiding them about staying up so late when they told him it was almost one in the morning, Korean time. Relaxing back, he kept a watch on Donghae and Amber's signals as they attached one of the last few panels to the hull.

 

“Seriously, I cannot believe this place does not have a fully functioning medical facility,” Zoe Vasconcelos griped as she stomped back into the area, carrying a medical bag. “What the hell do you do if one of you is hurt?”

 

“There _is_ one, it's just... kind of unusable at the moment. Mostly we patch each other up in the crew area or in our living quarters.”

 

“What happened to it?”

 

“Hull fracture. The hull just got sealed back up for that area, so when we land on a place with breathable air again, we'll probably get that section air, we just don't have the power right now to pump life support into it.”

 

“No power for air, no power for food, how in the hell do you manage to fend off starvation?” she asked, grabbing a stethoscope. “Lean forward,” she ordered. “I wish you had fucking told me about this whole 'surviving torture' thing sooner, I would have been looking out for entirely different things. Now I have to basically redo your _entire_ medical file.”

 

Hyukjae sighed, but leaned forward, breathing deeply with the stethoscope against his bare back after she had yanked his shirt up. “They didn't hook me up to a car battery or anything,” he said after she was done. “Last time I was looked at by a time – a doctor who had access to scanning, I was fine.”

 

“How long ago was that?”

 

“I don't know... like a year or two ago? The tattoo is the ink they use for all their criminals...”

 

“What caused the scarring?” she interrupted.

 

Hyukjae sighed. “I don't know. I just remember this kind of light board and the world became pain. Why?”

 

“Some of it looks almost like Lichenberg figures, which would indicate some electrical current. I didn't hear a heart murmur or any arrhythmia and your lung function seems to be normal, which is good for you, but you need to have that monitored. And preferably have a full work up,” she said, sighing. “Which isn't likely unless I get into your medical bay or you're on Earth. God, and I don't even want to think for the moment about sexual activity with a non-Earth human...”

 

“Donghae isn't human. Or at least he wouldn't be classified as such,” Hyukjae said. “We're interrelated cousin species, but everyone out there is not _homo sapiens sapiens_.”

 

“What's the difference?” Zoe asked, folding her arms and looking irritated.

 

“I don't know, you're talking to someone who studied physics and aerodynamics, but if you compare my DNA to Zhou Mi's or Song Qian’s, it's slightly different. How, I don't know because I barely passed biology, but I remember that it _is_ different. Donghae and Amber's is even more different because of their genetic modifications.”

 

“Probably different mutations given various conditions on other worlds plus divergent paths. This is _assuming_ we all have the same genetic ancestor.”

 

“That could be it,” Hyukjae said. “There's a lot of myths and legends about all of us being seedlings from an ancient race that spread DNA through the universe on many planets.”

 

“Panel replaced,” Donghae said through the console. “Moving to next location.”

 

“Confirmed,” Hyukjae replied back, spinning back around. “How is your air?”

 

He caught the quick burst of laughter. “It is fine, we will be able to complete this task. We will check in again when we have affixed the next panel.”

 

“All right, keep in contact.”

 

“Confirmed.” The softness of Donghae's voice made him smile and relax back into his chair.

 

Zoe snorted a soft laugh through her nose. “Damn, he really loves you.”

 

“Yeah he does,” Hyukjae agreed. “Best thing that happened in my life. No matter how different or how similar our DNA is, everyone out there is no different than what you've got on Earth. We all love the exact same way.” He waited a beat. “I know it's your job to concern yourself with health and any infectious diseases that you could catch and bring back to Earth. The Zhang keep people relatively healthy, and there haven’t been any epidemics that I can ever remember. They wouldn't get tribute from an unhealthy population.”

 

“How?”

 

“I think it's in the food cubes that a lot of people rely on, including ourselves. There's enough nutrients to keep us from physically starving, and there's also additional things added, probably boosters for our immune systems.”

 

“So how are you staying healthy if those food cubes are designed for a cousin species?”

 

“I guess it works on me too. I haven't noticed anything that could be rickets or a vitamin deficiency. We try and eat fresh food when we can, but with one of our runs, we had to shut down our own internal food production, so we've been relying on food cubes. I haven't personally noticed any impact for me, but you'd probably do better to check with Song Qian to see if she noticed anything that I can't.”

 

“Song Qian?”

 

“Yeah, she's our fixer, whether it be with engines, the power, or us.”

 

Zoe nodded. “I'll check with her after she wakes up. How long do you normally sleep?”

 

“We'll take about four standards to sleep across a _farn_ , so it works out to about twelve and a half hours across thirty-nine hours. We rotate our shifts of watch so that no one stays up for a _farn_. Zhou Mi was only up for so long because he was serving watch while we were fixing the cargo vessel and then flying to Earth.”

 

“So you sleep in two blocks of two standards?”

 

“Yeah. It's easier for us to do that than try and stay up for most of the _farn_ and then sleeping.”

 

“I can imagine-”

 

“ _Hyukjae start the engines_ ,” Donghae yelled from the console. “Amber and I will be inside soon.”

 

“What's wrong?” Hyukjae asked tightly as his hands flew across the board, starting the power up sequence and locking his chair in place. He didn't bother to ask if it was necessary – the tone of Donghae's voice had told him that much. “Hit that white button when I tell you,” he told Zoe, pointing at the alarm he couldn't reach from his seat.

 

“Probe,” Donghae replied. “We're almost inside.”

 

Zhou Mi rushed in, having heard the engines slowly power up, followed quickly by others. “What is wrong?” he asked.

 

“Donghae says we have a probe. They're almost back inside,” Hyukjae answered, warming up the engines that had been powered off.

 

“We are in and sealed,” Amber said through the console.

 

“Hit it,” he ordered Zoe.

 

The battle klaxon warbled through the halls and turned off the ability to get into the ship from any of the access ports.

 

“Okay now get out of that seat,” Hyukjae said, not taking his eyes off the readouts.

 

Amber arrived just ahead of her twin, snagging the second seat.

 

“What kind of probe?” Hyukjae asked, now able to think about something other than the engines starting.

 

“Locator probe,” Donghae panted as his fingers curled into Hyukjae’s shoulders. “The chase ship is still far enough away that they cannot locate the system, but the indicator is too fast for anything more than maybe a fraction of a standard.”

 

Hyukjae relinquished the seat for Donghae, knowing that while he was good, the twins worked far better together.

 

“What's wrong?” the admiral barked as he limped in.

 

“Locator probe,” Hyukjae answered, hopping into the weaponry chair. “We have to leave.”

 

“What do you mean _leave_?”

 

“I mean go, leave, get out of the solar system before whoever is tracking us can _find_ us. Fuck, no wonder we've had to run so much,” Hyukjae cursed, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

 

“We are aware of it now,” Zhou Mi said, waving his hands around the hologram board, pulling up details of where Donghae and Amber had been working, hoping to get an image.

 

“How did you miss that before?” Seungchul asked.

 

“That whole thing of _not having time for repairs_ ,” Hyukjae sarcastically replied. The ship shuddered a little as it lifted off Phobos, the engines whining.

 

“Wait, wait, wait, you're taking us _back_ right?” Alex asked, her voice rising.

 

“No time,” Zhou Mi returned. “I can see the probe now.”

 

“How does it work?” the admiral asked.

 

“The faster the light blinks, the closer they are.”

 

“That's blinking really fast,” he commented while Alex cursed quietly.

 

“Once it’s solid, they have a lock and know where we are,” Hyukjae said.

 

The admiral sighed. “Give me that communicator you've been using to contact Mission Control and get ready to get us out,” he told Hyukjae.

 

“Stealthing is... mostly on,” Donghae said.

 

“Okay, get us closer to Earth, so we can get the message sent,” Hyukjae said, grabbing the communicator off the main piloting console and pressing it into the admiral's hand before hopping back into the weaponry seat.

 

Song Qian rushed in with Hyukjae's family on her heels, all of them obviously just have woken up. “What...?”

 

“Locator probe,” Zhou Mi said to Song Qian. “I am watching it.”

 

“I will divert power...”

 

“No,” Amber said. “We have enough generated from the solar wind we have been soaking up for the past few _farn_. It is enough.”

 

Song Qian hummed, pulling up the secondary holographic display from the floor, and arranging the power streams before her eyes. “I will watch that.”

 

“We are close enough for instantaneous transmission,” Donghae said.

 

“Mission Control, Admiral Thorn. Visitors and cargo need to leave to avoid detection, possible that hostiles will arrive in system within hours. Do not engage. Visitors attempting to lead hostiles out of area with cargo still aboard. Will contact again when safe.” He cut the communicator off before there was time for a reply.

 

“Let's go,” Hyukjae said.

 

Donghae rolled them to where they were facing out of the orbital plane, and the engines whined for the brief moment before they were traveling faster than light out of the solar system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated.  
> and if you were wondering, the quote comes from Spider Robinson's Callahan series.


	4. the space between

They were on the fifth jump out of the solar system before the probe's light slowed perceptibly. Hyukjae breathed out and leaned back in his chair as they paused for the moment. “How's the power?” he asked Song Qian, who was yawning and blinking her eyes rapidly.

 

She nodded. “Power levels have dipped, but not critical yet. Where are we?”

 

“Moving towards the core,” Amber said. “We are a few jumps away from some mercantile areas, it just depends where we can get in. We do not have too much for a bribe and some of these places we have avoided for a cycle or two.”

 

“We would have to make about eight jumps to get to the nearest place that will not ask questions or does not require much to bribe the space controller,” Donghae chimed in, his hands tapping against the console.

 

“That would send us into critical power levels again,” Song Qian sighed, shoving the hologram back down to the floor in frustration. “It took us over four _farn_ just to get this much power.”

 

“Let us head towards the closest mercantile area, we can make a final decision when we get to the jump point,” Zhou Mi said.

 

“Confirmed,” Donghae agreed. “We have one more empty jump, but we will have to change the designation again.”

 

“I'll do it,” Hyukjae volunteered. “Not like I can really do anything in this chair at the moment.”

 

“I will assist,” Song Qian replied. “Do not push the engines too much and we will be fine for the next two legs without having to divert power,” she warned.

 

Both Donghae and Amber nodded in unison as they warmed up the engines for yet another jump.

 

“Where's this designation at? And what is it?” Samuel asked.

 

“It's in one of the areas that's still in vacuum,” Hyukjae said. “It's... uh, basically like an identification thing. Identify friend/foe,” he said, suddenly remembering what he wanted to call it.

 

“Have you got any identifications that aren't hot?”

 

“One or two,” Hyukjae answered breezily as he swept out of the flight deck with Song Qian on his heels. “Which ones do we have?” he asked her quietly as they walked quickly to the area where their space suits were.

 

“The one we choose will make the choice of where we go,” she replied.

 

“You saw the list?”

 

She made a wordless sound of agreement. “I believe Qinyan would be a better choice. Larger planet and more numerous markets.”

 

“Slightly dangerous, though,” he pointed out as he pulled on the overall suit, pressing the seal to close it firmly. “I think all of us are wanted for one thing or another there.”

 

“We are, but it is easier to evade detection from the Zhang soldiers within the large crowds. I believe it is time for the Night of Lanterns, so there will be even larger crowds.”

 

Hyukjae hummed. “Good point. A lot of the black market items will be available as well, but how are we going to get in?”

 

“We still have a cargo vessel designation that shouldn't have too many wanted briefs, and we can possibly get some of your people to pose as crew enough to get us in.”

 

“Oh yeah, I didn't even think about that,” he muttered, sealing his helmet as they approached the airlock. “Zhou Mi?” he asked in the built in communicator.

 

“Admiral Thorn,” the voice corrected. “He's watching the power output while we're in flight.”

 

Hyukjae met Song Qian's eyes through their helmets, both of them sharing the inherent distrust of others, but she held up two fingers apart and then sliced them across her neck. He nodded, accepting what she was telling him. They would hear a change in the engines if there was a takeover attempt, because Donghae and Amber would immediately stop everything to fight. Both he and Song Qian were also armed, so when they finished, they could safely enter back onto the flight deck without risking themselves. “All right,” Hyukjae said, his voice tight. “We're headed into the airlock, keep a watch on our signals.”

 

“Roger.”

 

Song Qian looked at him, her face screwed up in confusion. He waved a hand, meaning he would explain the terminology later. They cycled through the airlock, entering the vacuumed off area and moving towards the closed area that would normally be bustling.

 

“No matter how many times I do this, this is still creepy as hell,” Hyukjae muttered, looking around at the dim red lit hallways, feeling his heart flutter.

 

“Zhou Mi wants to know if you need additional power.”

 

“No, I need someone to go back in time and stop me from watching the entire _Alien_ series, along with half of the zombie movies I've seen,” Hyukjae replied, barely able to stop his imagination from creating various horrors from shadows.

 

“Yeah, can't help you there,” the admiral replied, his voice amused. “Even _Alien vs. Predator_?”

 

“Yeah, both of them, I marathoned it before I left,” he replied. “Okay, we're here,” he said, stepping into the small room. When the ship was fully functional, it was staffed to maintain contact with planets and ships in its patrol area, but it had been almost one of the first locations to experience a vacuum. He flipped through the list, seeing the cargo identifications, along with the list of wanted briefs. Finding the one they could use for Qinyan, he looked over the briefs. Petty theft, evading authorities, and smuggling, nothing that would raise any serious red flags when they got to Qinyan. “Ready to flip the identification when we get to the jump point.”

 

“Can't you do it now?” the admiral asked.

 

“No, it doesn't change while in flight.” Hyukjae knew that it was to prevent criminals like him from being able to evade detection when they dropped into a jump point.

 

“Okay, we're dropping out soon.”

 

“Copy.”

 

“Out,” Donghae said into Hyukjae's ears. Hyukjae initiated the change of identification, watching it slowly load. This was the most dangerous part of their lives, because they had to maintain a still position at a jump point where any ship could come in at any time and still pick up the old identification while the new identification was loading.

 

“Come on, come on...” Hyukjae said, watching the readout load.

 

“How much longer?” Donghae asked, his voice tight.

 

“Not long,” Hyukjae replied back. The readout flashed and Hyukjae looked it over. “Done, get us to Qinyan,” he said, walking back to Song Qian.

 

“Confirmed,” Donghae said, the ship shuddering as it began moving again.

 

They cycled back through the airlock, and Hyukjae pulled off his suit helmet.

 

“They do not sound coerced,” Song Qian quietly said as they stripped their space suits.

 

“Agreed, I'll enter first, just in case. I won't have my weapon out, but I'll be ready.”

 

She nodded and followed him back up to the flight deck. He kept his hand curled around his weapon until he'd peeked into the flight deck. Everything looked normal, the admiral had only seated himself in the weaponry chair, and given the unconscious hand rubbing at the knee, Hyukjae could understand why. Donghae and Amber were doing their synchronized flight thing and most everyone had gathered around the hologram projector towards the back, giving the twins plenty of room. Pulling back, he took his hand off his weapon and nodded to Song Qian. She blew out a breath and pulled a soft smile onto her face before gracefully walking back onto the flight deck.

 

Hyukjae followed, but took a spot next to the admiral. Hyukjae waved him back down when he adjusted his cane to get out of the chair. “Knee problems?”

 

Admiral Thorn sighed and tilted his head briefly in acknowledgment. “Yeah, damn thing finally fell apart on me and I had to have it replaced about four months ago. Too many damn bad landings.” He sighed and leaned back, wincing as he stretched his leg out. “I think it's the cold getting to me more than anything else.”

 

“Probably,” Hyukjae agreed. He looked over at Donghae and Amber as he heard the engines changed again. They both stood up and stretched before walking around and Donghae walked right to him, giving him a hug. Donghae burrowed his head under Hyukjae's chin, sighing. “Okay there?” he asked.

 

“Charging,” Donghae replied cutely.

 

“Oh recharge time,” he teased, then twisted his head as he felt another body fall against his back, hugging him. “You too Amber?” She grunted at him, making him laugh. “All right. How many more jumps?”

 

“One, but it will be a standard to Qinyan,” Donghae replied, snuggling closer as Hyukjae wrapped one of his arms around Donghae's back while the other pulled Amber tightly to him.

 

“Want me to fly?” he offered.

 

Donghae shook his head. “We just need a charge before we fly again.”

 

“Charging?” the admiral asked, having twisted around slightly in the chair to view the probably odd looking scene.

 

“Yeah, they need to relax for a few minutes before they start flying again,” he explained, softly stroking Donghae's back. “It gives them a little energy boost to swim around in my brain, since they're going to be flying for the next several hours.”

 

Admiral Thorn snorted. “Carry on, then. Last thing we need is tired pilots,” he said, rubbing his knee again.

 

Leaning his head forward, he closed his eyes and breathed in, letting both Donghae and Amber find some solace for their tired brains within his mind. They'd never be able to read his direct thoughts, but he knew that they could easily pick up on his dominant emotions, so he let both of them soak up the love and trust he felt for them.

 

The three beeps from the console made him freeze, dread crawling through his stomach.

 

“What was that?” came the whispered question.

 

“That was an official Zhang ship querying our identification,” Donghae said.

 

“How many wanted briefs does this identification have?” Zhou Mi asked, then cursed inventively, waving his hands around the hologram.

 

“Less than ten,” Song Qian replied. “Probably more, but several have expired, and no more than what a cargo ship would have normally.”

 

“Well one piece of good news – it is not the ship that has been chasing us,” Zhou Mi said, pointing at the holographic picture of the probe, which was blinking at a steady rate. “The bad side is that they could have been contacted.”

 

The three beeps sounded again. Hyukjae absently gave Donghae a kiss as his lover walked back over to the console, and even though he was waiting to find out how things would go, he still took a second to admire Donghae's well-shaped backside and luscious thighs when he bent around the seat to look at the console.

 

“You wondered how we figured it out?” Sora slyly asked as she stood next to him.

 

Hyukjae snorted a laugh, the corners of his lips twitching up. “Yeah, I know, I have a type,” he replied quietly. “What are they doing?” he asked louder.

 

Static hissed for a second. “ _Andante_ , respond visually.”

 

“Fuck,” Hyukjae hissed. “Do we have enough power to run?”

 

“No. We have enough to get to Qinyan, but _not_ to outrun a Zhang ship, too,” Song Qian replied, her hands weaving through the power levels.

 

“ _Andante_ , respond visually.”

 

“Two,” Zhou Mi warned.

 

“We have to run,” Hyukjae said. “We...”

 

“ _Impossible_ ,” Song Qian yelled, her voice firm. “We have to respond.”

 

“And then we'll be boarded, and if we're _lucky_ then we'll be killed immediately...”

 

“ _Shut up_ ,” Alex yelled, her hands pulling at the bun her hair was piled up in. “The _fuck_ if I am getting caught less than a day out here. Someone tell them that you went to go get the captain,” she ordered. “Amber, I need to borrow your shirt, Admiral, out of that chair please, Latu, try and give your hair that after-sex look. Park, go park your ass in Donghae's seat, Donghae show him what he needs to _look_ like he's doing, Lee Sora, you in the other chair,” she continued, pulling her shirt up and off.

 

Everyone averted their eyes as Amber easily pulled her shirt off and swapped it with Alex's far more colorful wear, but started moving towards their assigned places, looking skeptically at her.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” the admiral barked.

 

“Trying to save our asses since no one else has any better ideas,” she replied, breathing a little faster. “Someone tell me who I am, what kind of ship I have my hands on, and if this is _everyone_ that needs to be here.”

 

Hyukjae looked at Zhou Mi and Song Qian, who looked equally surprised.

 

“Come on, I need answers so I can try and convince these assholes. Your faces are known, ours aren't.”

 

“Give them any name you want,” Zhou Mi replied. “You are on a former prison ship, which has been purchased and sold multiple times and converted to run cargo. If asked, you acquired the ship to clear a debt, but you have not had the business to get the registry changed. You need one more in the weapons chair to make it look as though you have a full crew, plus extras who would be sleeping. You and the crew on the way to Qinyan for the large markets that occur around the Night of Lanterns, looking for business, it is very common for cargo runners to do that.”

 

“You need to be as condescending and annoyed as possible,” Hyukjae told her. “They're delaying your jump, which puts you behind schedule and you were drawn from more pleasurable activities to talk to them.”

 

Song Qian ruffled Alex's tight curls and tugged at her clothes. “If you are going to use that story, at least look properly rushed and possibly unfinished,” she coached, pinching Alex's cheeks to bring up some color before moving to where Samuel stood around, and began fussing over him.

 

Alex nodded and gave them a brief smile. “Thanks, go hide. Doctor Vasconcelos hop into the weapons chair.”

 

Zoe grumbled. “Why not have just kept the admiral in the chair?”

 

“Because he'd be running the ship, not me.”

 

“Is there anything you want us to do?” Deokbon asked.

 

“If you're given to religion, pray that I can pull this off. Go somewhere that you can't be seen.”

 

Donghae and Amber hauled the admiral to one of the side walls, Zhou Mi following them. Hyukjae waved Song Qian over to the wall while he pulled the second hologram projector off of the floor and made ready to patch through the signal.

 

“You ready?” he asked.

 

She nodded. “Ready as I'll ever be. Will they be able to see you?”

 

“Not as fast as I move,” Hyukjae said, smiling. “Three, two..” he hit the button and immediately dropped into a roll that took him away from the visible portions of the console, and he half ran back to where the others had gathered.

 

“What the fuck do you want?” Alex immediately started before the Zhang captain even had a chance to say anything as Samuel folded his arms and moved closely behind her. “You keep my ship here instead of already being on the way to Qinyan, and now you are putting me even more behind schedule. What is your excuse for this?”

 

“Identify yourself.”

 

“I am the captain of this vessel,” she replied dismissively. “I would have thought that to be obvious.”

 

“Your name.”

 

Alex sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. “Fucking bureaucracy. Captain Kay Smit,” she said, folding her arms.

 

“She is a good entertainer,” Zhou Mi muttered quietly. “Just the right amount of fear of authority with self-importance.”

 

“Yeah, a little too good,” Admiral Thorn replied just as quietly.

 

“If it gets us out of this, I'm not going to complain,” Hyukjae said as he moved to where Donghae was standing and slid an arm around Donghae's hips, holding him close. Everyone froze when the Zhang captain announced that he was going to board.

 

“Oh great, why? To run me even _further_ off schedule? Are you going to be compensating me for the business I will be losing while you're dicking around within my ship looking for people who are no longer aboard? Or better yet, I will find the name of your superior and have _them_ compensate me for your wasting of my time. La'a, go...”

 

The Zhang captain cleared his throat. “When did your purchase your ship again?”

 

“Eight _farn_ ago. And for the last time, I did _not_ purchase it, the previous captain gave it to me to clear off his debt,” Alex said, her voice tight. Hyukjae noticed that she'd tucked one of her hands below her elbow and it was clenched tightly in a fist.

 

“Your ship has not been updated...”

 

“Because you need money for that. Why do you think we are going to Qinyan?” she logically – and slightly sarcastically – pointed out. “With you holding me up, that is time and money I could have spent doing exactly what you are telling me I should do. I might just send a bill to your supervisor anyway, I can probably get this ship changed in the registry for free by this point–“

 

“ _Andante_ , proceed to Qinyan and update the registry as soon as possible.”

 

The hologram cut off, and there were various noises of disbelief and joy from everyone except Alex, who bent over, apparently from relief. Donghae and Amber immediately rushed to their seats, piloting them out of the jump point and on their way to Qinyan.

 

“Alex?” Zoe asked, the note of worry and snap of medical authority making everyone who could look to where Alex was still bent over, her hand pressing into her chest, as if she couldn't breathe. Hyukjae could hear the raspy breaths in and wheezing once that the room was silent. “Where's your inhaler?” Zoe snapped.

 

“Bag in my room,” Alex forced out, her voice tight, but airy, as if she was about to pass out.

 

“On it,” Seungchul said, already sprinting out of the flight deck.

 

Zoe maneuvered Alex into the weaponry chair, shoving her head down and between her knees, keeping one of Alex's wrists in her hand to keep track of the pulse.

 

“Here,” Seungchul said after a couple of minutes, running back in with the bright purple inhaler.

 

Alex greedily inhaled the fast-acting medication, her body losing the tenseness as her airway began to open back up.

 

“So...”

 

Zoe made a disapproving noise at the admiral. “It can wait for five minutes until I'm sure the medication is working.”

 

“No, I'm okay,” Alex wheezed.

 

“Bullshit, especially if the stress of that just triggered an attack.”

 

“No, I think it's the colder air, I always have more attacks in winter,” Alex said, leaning back in the chair, her hand still protectively clutching the inhaler to her chest.

 

“Yeah but the stress doesn't help,” Zoe muttered.

 

“NSA?” the admiral asked, not even withering at Zoe's dark look. Hyukjae was impressed, that look would have had him scurrying behind his parents.

 

Alex made a disgusted noise. “Please don't lump me in with those assholes,” she replied, her voice still catching on a wheeze.

 

“CIA, then. I should have figured the Company would send someone along.”

 

“It's worked out to your advantage so far.”

 

“CIA?” Zhou Mi repeated, a confused look on his aristocratic face.

 

“It's one of the spy organizations on Earth,” Hyukjae explained.

 

“Well, of course they would send someone,” he replied, still confused. “Do spies not go to every function and exist everywhere on your world as well?”

 

“Finally, someone talking some sense,” Alex said, her mouth turning up, even as she took steady, deep breaths. “Though you just saw why I'm usually in diplomacy and not out in the field,” she said, shaking the inhaler slightly.

 

“Okay, you need to go get some sleep,” Zoe interrupted. “In fact, everyone who doesn't need to be up here, go to sleep. We've got three hours to get a nap in before we have to do this nonsense all over again when we arrive.”

 

“I'll take watch,” Hyukjae immediately volunteered, speaking to Zhou Mi and Song Qian. “You two need a nap.”

 

“I am all for that,” Hyukjae's father ruefully said with a yawn.

 

Shooing everyone out and towards their beds, Hyukjae promised that he would wake everyone when it was time to arrive. Settling back into the seat, Hyukjae let his mind blank as he was surrounded by silence again. They were safe for the time being, and Hyukjae took the precious time to relax and de-stress. Unlocking the chair, he swung the chair around to the main hologram console and pulled up the power levels before sitting back down. He wasn't nearly the expert that Song Qian was, but he could at least watch for any worrying dips.

 

It was a long, quiet ride to Qinyan, and Hyukjae blinked at the small alarm he'd set for himself to start waking the others. He tapped the chair controls to patch him down to their living quarters. “Zhou Mi? Song Qian?” he asked, hoping that he'd be able to stay on the flight deck.

 

“We are awake,” Song Qian replied, her voice reflecting a more rested state. “We will wake the others.”

 

“Thanks,” Hyukjae said, locking the chair back into the forward facing position. Everyone slowly filtered back in, yawning as they tried to wake up. Song Qian and the admiral were the last two back on the flight deck, arriving while Hyukjae was giving a brief rundown of what to expect on the planet.

 

“Try not to stare at the sky, it's going to be far more red than what you're used to, but that's the same on a lot of worlds. Our sun is higher on the main sequence than a lot of other inhabited worlds, so for the most part, we either see things that no one else can or we're bumping into almost everything because we can't see it. Qinyan's star is slightly closer to Earth's, but still more on the reddish side of things. The Night of Lanterns is a three _farn_ long event, and both the night and day markets are packed. Everything is available for a price, including people, so try not to react too much to that. Any captain would have to authorize the purchase of a slave, so aside from Alex, you all can defer to that.”

 

“This is the most well-known bartering market in this section of space,” Song Qian added, a touch of pride in her voice. “The Night of Lanterns brings many rare goods from all over the Zhang Empire from the merchants looking to make profit. Alex Nelson, you will first make contact with the space controller to get authorization to land.”

 

She nodded, her dark hair once again pulled back enough to keep out of her face. “All right, and the space controller will be expecting a bribe, correct?”

 

“Of course,” Song Qian replied. “We have enough to give a modest bribe for landing with few questions and no boarding. Try and maintain a slight look of need, but also of dispassion as if you could just as easily go to any other mercantile area and get just as much business, if not more. This is where many merchants on Qinyan earn their money for most of their solar cycle, so they are just as desperate as what you are.”

 

“Got it. Is there a main dock or do we just park anywhere on the surface?”

 

“Anywhere on the surface,” Zhou Mi informed. “Smaller cargo ships travel through the atmosphere, the only reason the larger ships like this one land is to simply flush the air filters and conduct repairs that would be too dangerous in space. It is routine.”

 

“Okay. Do they need visual?” Alex asked, gesturing to the holographic display.

 

“Yes, there are many things that others would not want recorded by any means.”

 

“So hand gestures?”

 

“Yeah,” Hyukjae said. “There truly are somethings that are universal,” he said, rubbing his thumb against his first two fingers.

 

Alex smirked at him. “That one I won't have any issues with interpreting.”

 

“We'll be dropping into the Qinyan jump point soon, and we'll be standing where we were last time,” Hyukjae said. “Good luck.”

 

She puffed out her cheeks, blowing out her breath before nodding. “Thanks. You know, you're taking my actual job suspiciously well.”

 

Hyukjae snorted. “You just saved us from getting arrested, killed, or worse. Just don't sell us out to the highest bidder, and you're good with me. Besides, Zhou Mi wasn't kidding when he was asking if we don't have spies everywhere, especially when it comes to diplomacy. It's just a part of life out here.”

 

Thankfully, their descent onto Qinyan happened without incident and Alex was even able to haggle the space controller down to a lower bribe. As the twins finally broke out of piloting mode when the ship had landed, Hyukjae felt the crushing relief.

 

“Okay first order of business, let's get air in here,” Hyukjae said, making a mental list. “Then we have to figure out what to do about that probe before they find us.”

 

“Opening all access ports,” Song Qian said, touching different areas of the ship on the holographic display. The ship rocked slightly as areas that had been vacuum suddenly had air rushing into the lower pressured area, and Hyukjae hoped that they would be able to stay long enough to fully flush the air system.

 

“Turning off life support systems to begin the process of flushing the filters,” Zhou Mi warned before he tapped at the console and the constant hiss that had been background noise for six years of Hyukjae's life stopped. Yawning, he let his ears pop as the flight deck became flooded with warm air.

 

“Been a while since I've heard that,” he commented.

 

“Hear what?” his mother asked.

 

“Silence,” he replied, pulling up the image of the probe, the light still blinking steadily.

 

“So how do you kill a probe?” Samuel asked, leaning forward. “Can't you just shoot it with your cool laser pistol or something?”

 

“Doesn't work. It has shields like what a ship does. The faster something comes at it or the higher the energy, the more it resists,” Hyukjae explained. “Hitting it with this,” he said, patting his weapon fondly, “doesn't do a damn thing to it.”

 

“So can we blow it up?” Seungchul asked.

 

“An explosive device would either be ineffective and the probe would remain as it is, or it would cause any internal explosive devices to likewise explode, and in that location, it would damage the ship beyond repair,” Amber said, shaking her head.

 

“Can you just mess with the wiring?” the admiral injected.

 

“It would most likely explode.”

 

“I still say just shoot it,” Samuel muttered, running a hand over his chin.

 

“With what?” Hyukjae said. He pulled his weapon out and held it up. “This is all we have.”

 

“You don't have a gun?”

 

“I must have neglected to pack one in my suitcase,” Hyukjae drolly replied.

 

“Well, I have mine. Next question though is does it work?”

 

“You have a gun,” Hyukjae said flatly.

 

“Yeah, never leave home without it,” Samuel returned. “Will it even work though?”

 

Hyukjae sighed and leaned on the console. “Did all of you bring a sidearm?” he asked, unamused.

 

There was a chorus of embarrassed agreement from everyone but his family and Hyukjae rolled his eyes, trying to bury the irritation and logic himself out of the sense of betrayal by telling himself that he'd most likely do the exact same thing.

 

“Not that we're going to use them or anything,” Samuel continued, making Hyukjae's eyes open and eyebrows quirk in confusion. “I think I speak for everyone in saying that we're all too terrified of the twins to even _think_ about using them against any of you.” Hyukjae snorted, a smile breaking free. Samuel leaned onto the console, a wry grin on his lips. “I've gone through SEAL training, I've faced down terrorists with nothing more than my bare hands, but those two? Uh uh. Nope. You could not pay me enough to go one on one with either of them.”

 

Donghae made a soft noise of embarrassment and hugged Hyukjae from behind, burying his head between Hyukjae's shoulder blades while Hyukjae laughed, the tension bleeding out of him. “Okay, why?”

 

“The way they both said that they killed everyone on their way to get you. I don't think they used any weapons other than themselves and it was probably _far_ messier than what was said,” Seungchul said, nearly the same wry twist to his lips.

 

Hyukjae shook his head, amused at the quick confirmations from everyone. “You’re right, it was messy. I'll work out the math to see if shooting it will work. What's the muzzle velocity?”

 

“Around three hundred and fifty meters a second,” Samuel replied. “At least that's what it is for my Sig Sauer.”

 

Hyukjae nodded, grabbing the marker that rested on the side of the console and then turning to give Donghae a kiss on the tip of his nose. “You guys can have true confession hour if you want,” he said absently, picking a decent floor space and uncapping the marker, absorbing himself in the simple math of converting Earth units to the units he'd forced himself to become accustomed to. He could hear voices, but he didn't bother paying attention, and when he finally came up with a number, he called Zhou Mi over.

 

“What's the lower limit of the shielding?” he asked, pointing at the boxed number written on the floor.

 

Zhou Mi frowned. “Much higher than that. How did you convert?”

 

Hyukjae walked Zhou Mi through his mental process of how to measure a meter and comparing it to the Zhang measurement system and then walked through the math, more to make himself certain that he'd not missed something small.

 

“That... that is well below the shielding threshold,” Zhou Mi said, his eyes wide. “What is this weapon?”

 

“It's a projectile weapon. It basically flings a small piece of metal out of it. Wait, are you seriously telling me that the shielding that knows the difference between an asteroid and a cargo ship has a minimum threshold that is set _too high_ for it to realize that someone shot it with a projectile?” Hyukjae asked loudly and incredulously. “Half of the problems that we've had would have been _solved_ if I had a gun?”

 

“If this math is correct... yes,” Zhou Mi said. “No one has used projectile weapons for several dynasties now...”

 

Hyukjae groaned, rolling back to lay on the floor and covering his face in frustration. Breathing out gustily, he sat up. “Okay what the hell. Go grab your guns, let's see if this works. Hopefully if you hit the circuitry to short it out, it won't explode if it's designed to do that.”

 

“It'll get through the shielding?” the admiral asked.

 

“According to the math, it will. So what the hell, let's try it.”

 

“You will have to hit the probe in the correct location in order to disable the circuitry. Assuming that the design of probes has not changed, it will be in a colored band that encircles the probe, close to the edge of the hull,” Song Qian said.

 

“You all stay up here. Park Seungchul and I will go down. No sense in everyone risking their lives on this,” Samuel said. “You can guide us to where it is, right?”

 

“Yes,” Donghae said. “I will take you there and move to a safe location before you attempt to disarm the probe.”

 

Hyukjae stared at his math on the floor as the three moved through the ship, followed closely by the imaging cameras that projected into the holographic display. He felt his mother's hand on his arm. “Stop second guessing your math,” she quietly told him. “You're usually correct.”

 

“Yeah, but I don't want to be wrong,” he said. “Not when there are lives at stake.”

 

“We have arrived,” Donghae said, bringing his attention back to the display. “I am moving back.”

 

“Is there any light other than this creepy red?” Samuel asked.

 

Song Qian tapped a power stream, redirecting it to the room, and displaying the probe that had been lodged in the side of the ship. The light still steadily blinked on the outside, and Hyukjae forced himself to watch the display as both Samuel and Seungchul aimed their guns.

 

“Three, two..”

 

As one, two gunshots rang out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated.


	5. the space of silence and noise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy 718! (this chap got really smutty)

Hyukjae was so incredibly angry that he was flinging pieces of the former locator probe around as he worked to get into the inner computer guts of it. As soon as he'd seen that the probe's light had died on the holographic projector, he had sprinted down to it at a dead run, anger fueling his steps. He'd been the first one near the probe, and he was fuming as he ripped at it with his bare hands.

 

“I cannot fucking believe that actually worked,” he fumed, throwing the metal panel to the ground hard enough to make it bounce a few times. “That _actually fucking worked_.” He tossed a few more panels away from him, disconnecting the obvious power source a little more forcefully than he probably should have. “Do you know how many times I've had to _fucking risk my life_ over shit like this? How many times we've _all_ had to risk our lives?” he raged, gesturing between the probe and the assembled group. Ripping the top off, he felt mildly better as it clanged against the metal flooring. “All I needed was a _damned gun_ because the fucking Zhang designers literally _did not even think about projectile weapons_.”

 

“I haven't seen you _this_ angry since like... Sechs Kies disbanded,” Sora commented.

 

Hyukjae looked up, frowning at the assembled crowd, who were all watching him rip at the probe with either amusement or slight concern. “I'm still mad about that,” he bit out, painfully reminded of his fanboy days. “I'm just a little angrier about this because Donghae almost died because of shit like this! I could have literally just _shot a gun_ and poof! No issues!”

 

He was so wrapped up in his anger that he didn't even notice Donghae moving until he was already being spun around, picked up, and slung over Donghae's shoulder. Blinking, he tried to raise himself up a little, wondering what Donghae was planning and just a little irritated that he couldn't continue ripping the probe apart with his bare hands. But given that his hands were on Donghae's ass, he figured it was a fair trade-off.

 

“I will calm him down, you may continue taking the probe apart. You know where we are going,” Donghae said to the room at large, carrying him past everyone and down the hallway until he was set back down on his feet. Donghae's eyes were already half turned to blue and Hyukjae caught the enticing smirk before Donghae pushed him against the wall and kissed him.

 

The dull, angry throb he'd been feeling in his body skipped a beat, settling into the pleasant throb of desire as he wrapped his arms around Donghae's neck to pull him closer. They were both blessedly alive, whole, and Hyukjae felt the slight aggressiveness as Donghae kissed him. Moaning softly, he arched against Donghae, wanting more.

 

Donghae pulled back, softly biting Hyukjae's lower lip. “Do you wish to go have sex or go exercise?” he asked quietly.

 

Hyukjae smiled. “Definitely sex now that we have time,” his lips gravitating back to Donghae's. Donghae pushed back from him, ignoring Hyukjae's disappointed whine, and started moving towards their living area, dragging Hyukjae with him. They had almost made it when they heard the warble echo through the halls.

 

They looked at each other and sighed simultaneously. When they lived on the run, everything had to pause for unexpected things. Walking back to the flight deck, they were the first ones there. Checking the alarm to see what was happening this time, Hyukjae groaned.

 

“Space controller is here,” he said to Donghae. “ _Fuck_.”

 

“What's wrong?” his father asked as he strolled in.

 

“Space controller. He's probably trying to make up for the smaller bribe we've already given him, or to try and take what he thinks is valuable from what little cargo we have,” Hyukjae explained. “And with our wanted briefs, if we're found, he'll just turn us in to collect the reward, since it would be far higher than any bribe he'd ever get.”

 

“That doesn't sound good,” Zoe said, having heard the last part of his sentence.

 

“Yeah, I'd like to avoid being captured again,” Hyukjae replied. “Dad, I need you to go greet them, but they _cannot_ enter the ship without an invitation from the captain and they know it. Zoe, please go tell Alex that she's going to need to play captain again and be prepared to entertain the space controller for a while.”

 

“Where are you guys going to hide?” Zoe asked.

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “Here and there. I have to get _Pioneer_ hidden first, but there's a reason we keep all of the attackers parked the way we do.”

 

“Space controller?” Zhou Mi asked as he appeared.

 

“Yep. Greedy little bastard, isn't he?” Hyukjae confirmed. “I sent my father down to greet them and keep them there until everyone is ready.”

 

“I will take care of our living quarters while you hide your ship.”

 

Hyukjae took care of flipping the stealthing generator on to hide _Pioneer_ , and then found a good hiding spot in the main cargo hold. He was barely hidden behind a grate located high above the floor, but he felt safe enough since hardly anyone bothered to look up beyond eye level, and if someone did bother looking up, he could just lie on his back and wait.

 

“Hyukjae,” Donghae hissed from below the grate. “Let me in.”

 

Hyukjae snorted and pushed the bottom of the grate open with his feet just enough for Donghae to sneak into the hiding place as well. “Everyone else hidden?” he whispered as he leaned back to rest on his side.

 

“Yes. Controller came on board before I could hide elsewhere, so I tracked you.”

 

Hyukjae smiled and lightly kissed Donghae's nose. “I'm not complaining,” he murmured, scooting closer.

 

Donghae smiled and pulled him into a kiss.

 

Hyukjae stifled the moan as Donghae's tongue lazily thrust into his mouth, instead grabbing at the back of Donghae's head as he let Donghae take the lead and roll them to where he was on his back. Their tongues moved wetly against the others' and teasingly flickered against teeth while their hands found their way into hair, or down the sides of each other's faces as they kissed. They knew they could be stuck where they were for some time, and Hyukjae had no problems with the slower pace. He personally loved their occasionally slow pace, feeling it was a nice counterbalance to the hectic feeling that usually dominated out of necessity.

 

He shivered when Donghae hit the magic combination of sliding a thumb firmly across one of his nipples and biting his lower lip. He was conscious of the need for silence, but still struggled to not moan when Donghae did the same actions again because it felt so good. Stroking his hands down Donghae's back, he shifted slightly to part his legs and wrap one around Donghae's legs to hold him in place. Donghae kissed him again, the aggressiveness coming back. Hyukjae wanted to moan, but he settled for holding Donghae a little tighter, hoping that the approval was clear. He _wanted_ this, wanted to be held down and be completely taken apart by Donghae since they so rarely got to indulge.

 

“This is your main hold?”

 

Both of them jerked, trying to quietly pant through their noses. Hyukjae opened his eyes, not surprised to see the slightly glowing blue eyes narrowed in irritation before Donghae rolled off him to rest on his back as well beside him. Hyukjae tried to slow his breathing, but it was starting to be difficult to think of anything except killing the next being that interrupted he and Donghae from having sex. His mouth soured and he silently slipped the loop that kept his weapon in place off, his fingers curling around the grip.

 

“Yes, this one was planned to be the main hold. It is the most protected against... undue damage,” Alex said, her voice composed. “We use the smaller hold for our own needs.”

 

“I see. And you have... specialized compartments, yes?”

 

Hyukjae rolled his eyes and silently sighed, his grip tightening. He was so irritated that he wanted to sit up and just kill the man.

 

“A captain does not divulge all of her secrets for free,” Alex replied, her voice slightly flirtatious. Hyukjae hoped that the warm air was helping her asthma so she could continue to pull this charade off.

 

Donghae sniffed, a low growl almost vibrating off his body.

 

“Ah, but Captain, it is also far too easy to drop a whisper or two in an ear of our local peacekeeping force about a ship that could be harboring illicit material...”

 

“About as easy as it for me to do the same about a public servant who attempts to receive a bribe that is far larger than what could ever be considered proper...”

 

There was silence for a few seconds before raucous laughter echoed through the hold. “I am glad we understand each other, Captain. Oh get down from there, Wen,” the controller said, his voice chiding. “Come, let us talk of business.”

 

Hyukjae closed his eyes, placing a hand over his heart when he heard the thud of someone landing near their hiding spot. Swallowing the fear, he threaded his fingers with Donghae's as they heard the footsteps leaving the hold. Donghae silently turned over to peek out of the grate, and Hyukjae heard the sniffs of air.

 

“Clear,” Donghae whispered into his ear once he'd turned back around.

 

Hyukjae sighed and shook his head. “If anyone interrupts us again, I'm going to kill them,” he said quietly.

 

Donghae snorted a laugh. “Not if I kill them first,” he replied just as quietly, running a firm hand up Hyukjae's thigh.

 

Hyukjae bit his lower lip, letting it slip out slowly from between his teeth. He shifted as his dick throbbed within his pants, needing and craving sensation as Donghae's hand moved from his thigh to his hip, teasingly staying there for a moment before moving to cup Hyukjae's dick through his pants. Hyukjae tried to not make any noise as Donghae stroked him through the material of his pants, his body easily responding. Donghae knew just how to work him up slowly, the strokes alternating with the same hand sneaking between his legs to caress his ass.

 

His mouth parted as Donghae leaned over to kiss him, the thrusts of a wet tongue in his mouth making him crave Donghae thrusting wetly into him, and he arched against Donghae's hand. He wanted so many things all at once – he wanted Donghae to rip his clothes off and flip him over, using spit to slick his two of his fingers just enough to slide them inside Hyukjae and roughly fingering him until he came, or to have Donghae straddle his face, the silent demand to be sucked off apparent, and only when Hyukjae was nearly deep throating him would Donghae drop his talented mouth down on Hyukjae's dick, and he _really_ wanted to be back in their room with their clothes off, Donghae deep inside him.

 

“They're gone, wherever you all are hiding you can come out now.”

 

“ _Goddammit_ ,” Hyukjae yelled at the announcement through the ship, the frustration boiling over. Growling, he turned around to get the hell out of the hiding spot, forcing himself to not kick the grate open, and climbed down. Donghae looked almost as frustrated as what he felt, both of them practically ready to kill anything that stood between them and whatever stopped them from having sex within the next standard.

 

Zhou Mi met them in the hall to block their path towards the flight deck. “Your items are in the usual location and Song Qian and I will be taking your people to the day market while Amber has watch,” he said calmly, a knowing curve to his lips. “Please go have sex before either of you kill someone you would later regret killing.”

 

Both of them growled, stomping off towards the prison area. They grabbed their personal items from where they had been hastily packed away in a bag, leaving the other three bags where they were for their owners to claim. Once back in their room, they took the small amount of time to pull out the few personal things that they owned to once again make their room feel like a home before stripping, their clothes being tossed anywhere as the door shut behind them and stepping out of their shoes, leaving them next to the sleeping pad. Hyukjae grabbed the lubricant and laid down, invitingly propping one leg up, even as he shivered from the cool temperature of the sleeping pad. Donghae smiled as he lowered himself down, grabbing the lubricant.

 

Hyukjae moaned as Donghae's finger slid inside him, his body jerking. Donghae pumped one finger into him until he whined, needing more. Two fingers entered him as easily as one, and he sighed at the stretch, spreading his legs. He rolled his hips to meet Donghae's fingers, his own fingers rubbing at his nipples. Donghae was slightly rougher as he pushed the third finger in, but Hyukjae wanted it even rougher.

 

“Put the other one in,” he panted. “You know I can take it already.” He heard the lubricant squirt out, and his back arched sharply as he felt four fingers slide wetly in, giving him the rough stretch that he'd been craving. “Oh _fuck_ ,” he moaned, his dick twitching. It was a serious test of his willpower to not reach down and stroke himself, knowing that if he waited he'd be well rewarded with such an intense orgasm he would almost pass out. He whined as Donghae finger fucked him, unable to stop the noise from leaving his throat.

 

Donghae was sniffing at him, his eyes already fully blue and glowing. “Mmm, you are ready,” he said, baring his teeth.

 

Hyukjae cried out when Donghae withdrew his fingers, leaving him shaking and open. He rolled his head to the side to expose his neck, the submissive gesture in response to the aggressive one Donghae had already displayed, a gesture of love and trust to Donghae's wilder side. He felt the soft touch of Donghae's dick against his skin and he shivered again when he felt Donghae's wet tongue lick at his nipple.

 

“Donghae,” he softly called, smiling at the glowing eyes. “Pin me down and don't let me move. Give me your wildness,” he soothed, knowing Donghae's own issues with his genetic modifications. “Stay inside me, we have time,” he continued, connecting the thoughts for both halves of Donghae's personality.

 

Donghae growled, snarling as he pushed inside Hyukjae, his hands roughly pinning Hyukjae's hands down and his arms holding his legs open. Hyukjae cried out, the roughness such a rare treat for him to experience, and he panted to push past the barest edge of pain of Donghae's dick stretching him wider than what his fingers had. Donghae helped him along, licking and then lightly closing his teeth around one of Hyukjae's nipples. When Hyukjae moved his hips against Donghae's to indicate he was truly ready, he held his breath for a second. He was completely pinned down, Donghae's hands on his body to keep him that way, and he felt so perfectly full with Donghae inside him.

 

With the first thrust of Donghae's hips, snarled words of primal possession against his skin, Hyukjae felt totally confident in knowing that Donghae would completely take him apart. Donghae was so rough with him, biting at his skin and roughly thrusting in him that it kept him just on the verge of orgasm, not able to get enough pleasure to make him come just yet. He winced as Donghae's teeth sank in a little too much, but the low growl had him anticipating each thrust, every one coming just a little harder than the last. “Stay inside me, stay inside me,” he begged, his body beginning to tighten up.

 

Donghae thrust hard into him, the triumphant scream music to Hyukjae's ears. He closed his eyes to make Donghae's orgasmic thrusts seem harder and wetter with the addition of his come, and he jerked his hips down the slightest bit, making sure Donghae would be at the perfect place. He whimpered, the sudden swelling of Donghae's dick inside him pushing right against his prostate and stretching his body right to the limit. He let the pleasure burst through his nerves, screaming his own satisfaction within the sound of Donghae's name. The constant pressure on his prostate and the stretch of his body made his orgasm feel like it went on for hours, his body jerking in Donghae's tight grip, and his come smearing across his stomach. When he was finally left whimpering, he let his head loll to the side again, submissively acknowledging Donghae's complete domination of him without any words spoken.

 

Donghae kissed and nipped his way up to Hyukjae's lips, softly kissing him as he shook with the aftermath of such an intense orgasm. Wrapping his arms around Donghae's neck, he moaned happily into Donghae's mouth, the satisfaction almost making the interruptions and frustration worth it. Donghae rubbed his sides down to his hips as he pulled back. “Are you injured?” Donghae asked quietly, his voice calmer even as his eyes glowed.

 

Hyukjae smiled and shook his head. “Just feeling amazing with you inside me,” he replied, stretching his legs up in the air and then wrapping them around Donghae's waist, wiggling his back into a more comfortable position. Donghae wouldn't be able to pull out of him for almost half an Earth hour, barring any emergencies that would reduce the swelling faster, and Hyukjae breathed through the pulses and instinctive clenches of his body that made him shake from the overly sensitive feeling. Once he was breathing normally, he stroked Donghae's back, smiling at the still blue eyes staring at him lovingly.

 

“I love you,” Donghae said simply.

 

Hyukjae gave him a quick kiss. “I love you too, Donghae. I love you so much.”

 

Donghae easily held him close as he moved both of them from lying on their sleeping pad to sitting up, Hyukjae being held softly. He moaned quietly, the different angle pushing Donghae just a fraction of a centimeter deeper inside him, and he leaned back, resting on his hands to make the angle more comfortable. Donghae was eagerly looking over his body, his fingers tracing his favorite spots along Hyukjae's paler skin. “Are you comfortable?”

 

“Always,” he answered honestly. He'd always had a preference for larger men and larger toys, the stretch giving him pleasure that he'd never really grown tired of, and the knotting that had been an unintended side effect from Donghae's genetic modifications was perfect for him. “I love having you inside me like this.”

 

Donghae blushed, but a smile stole across his lips. “You do?”

 

“Yeah. I'll repeat it for you as long as you need to believe it. I'd love to have you like this far more often than what we usually have time for,” he replied, shifting slightly. “I love the feeling of being stretched open like this and knowing it's you inside me...” He shook his head, smiling. “It's indescribable.” Leaning forward, he bowed his back to loop his arms around Donghae's neck, lightly scraping his nails across the sensitive skin.

 

Donghae throatily moaned, his eyes closing as his head rolled around to give Hyukjae more access. Light touches became firmer across his skin, Donghae's hands dropping to shamelessly grope his thighs. But the soft, fluttering touches to his dick made him wince.

 

“Not just yet,” he said, his smile soothing, even as he pulled Donghae's hand back to his thigh. Donghae nodded his head once, acknowledging. Hyukjae kissed Donghae again, his body responding so easily to being still stretched open and Donghae's little bites to his lower lip. Donghae had picked up his love of having his lip bitten and indulged him in it frequently, often working him up just by nibbling on his flesh. When his dick no longer felt so overly sensitive, he lightly pushed at Donghae's chest. “Lay back, I want to try something.”

 

It took them a minute or so get to where Donghae was flat on his back, Hyukjae straddling his hips, but as soon as Hyukjae had the sleeping pad under his knees, he rocked his hips slightly, not even sure if what he wanted was even possible. But it didn't seem to be working and he scrunched his nose up, disappointed. “Damn,” he pouted.

 

Donghae giggled and pulled him down to give him a kiss, pushing his hands through Hyukjae's hair to get him to stop pouting. Smiling against Donghae's mouth, he shrugged as he pulled back to sit up.

 

“Well, it was worth a shot,” he said ruefully.

 

“What were you hoping for?” Donghae asked, rubbing Hyukjae's thighs.

 

“I was hoping that I'd be able to wiggle my way to the second orgasm while you're still plugging me up but doesn't work. We can just do the same thing we did last time.”

 

Donghae shrugged and smiled. “If you feel like it.”

 

He chuckled. “Well, I'd like to get off again while you're still stuck. Just depends how you want me.”

 

Donghae slowly licked his lips. “Can you turn around? I have an idea that will make both of us happy.”

 

“Ooh,” Hyukjae said, raising his eyebrows. “This sounds promising.” Spinning around was mildly difficult, but it was more in finding a good place for his limbs than anything else. He was panting by the time his back was facing Donghae, and he twisted his head to look at Donghae. “So what's your idea?”

 

Donghae could move scarily fast, and Hyukjae yelped as he was pulled backwards and pushed against the cold metal that served as the back wall of their room. Donghae grabbed his hands and pulled them up to rest against the metal as Donghae worked his way between Hyukjae's legs. They wound up at an angle against the wall, a part of Hyukjae's brain noticing that his body practically made an equilateral triangle between the sleeping pad and the wall with Donghae between his slightly spread legs. Donghae smiled against his skin before biting his shoulder lightly. “This,” he murmured against Hyukjae's shoulder while one of his hands slipped across Hyukjae's hip to curl familiarly around Hyukjae's dick.

 

Hyukjae moaned, keeping his hands where they were, and felt his body throb. Donghae softly kissed the frankly hideous tattoo that stretched shoulder to shoulder that matched the one that everyone except Zhou Mi had, and nuzzled his nose across the scars that stretched down from it. He whined quietly as Donghae pushed his hips firmly against Hyukjae's ass, coupling it with firm strokes that made Hyukjae feel like he was the most pampered person in the entire galaxy. He let Donghae pull the second orgasm from him and it was almost as intense as the first with the sensation of Donghae still buried deep within him, but it was also softer in a way, Donghae holding him as his body shook.

 

When Donghae was able to pull out of him, Hyukjae wanted to cry from the empty feeling his entire body was protesting against and he wanted to be filled back up immediately. He climbed on top of Donghae to kiss him, begging Donghae in between kisses to fuck him again.

 

“Again?” Donghae asked, his eyes flickering down Hyukjae's body with clear want.

 

“Yes,” Hyukjae said. “I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted you inside me for a standard.”

 

“Are your hips not sore?” Donghae asked, both cautious and courteous even as his hands were already gliding up Hyukjae's body.

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “A little, but it's tolerable with how much we're moving around. Please Donghae?” He kissed his way along Donghae's jaw to nip at his earlobe. “I want you to find just as much pleasure in my body as I always find in yours, and right now we have time,” he assured.

 

Donghae grabbed the lubricant, and from the glow in the blue eyes, Hyukjae figured he was in for a wild ride, a thought that would be proven true when he couldn't even lift himself off of the sleeping pad when Donghae was finally through with him over two hours later. He was still moaning softly, his body shaking with remembered sensation and a pleasant fatigue when Donghae rose up off of the sleeping pad.

 

“Twin?” Donghae called into the communicator that they had installed into their living quarters.

 

“Hm?” Came her mildly bored reply. “Done having sex?”

 

“Yes. Could you divert some power to the water showers?” Hyukjae perked up at the thought, an even goofier smile spreading across his face.

 

Amber's amused snort echoed throughout the small area. “All right. Is he still in one piece?” she teased.

 

“Yes,” Hyukjae grumbled loudly. “I don't know about my ability to walk anymore, but I'm in one piece,” he continued, not knowing if his voice was loud enough to be picked up, but given Amber's raucous laughter, he guessed that it was.

 

“Power is diverted, though it might be a short time before the water is heated to a pleasant temperature.”

 

“Confirmed. Have the others come back aboard?”

 

“No, they are still at the market, and they will likely be there for some time still, given what I can hear of their bargaining.”

 

“Very well, we will be up shortly to relieve you for watch.”

 

He turned his head slightly as Donghae stepped back out of his shoes and back onto the sleeping pad. He smiled at the soft fingers against his jaw and the soft press of Donghae's lips against his. “Come, let us wash up.”

 

Hyukjae groaned as Donghae pulled him to a seating position, all of his muscles protesting the movement. “Seriously, you might have to carry me,” he laughed as his legs wobbled when Donghae also pulled him up to have him standing. The sudden change of position made him cringe when he felt Donghae's come leaking out of him, and he laughed as he was steadied when he nearly collapsed just trying to step back into his shoes. Donghae stepped into his shoes, then easily picked him up, letting Hyukjae wrap his limbs around Donghae's body, completely trusting that he wouldn't be dropped. Donghae carried him into the shower before gently setting him down and making sure that he was steady before going to turn the water on.

 

Hyukjae was expecting the cold, but the temperature quickly went to pleasantly warm and he soaked up the feeling. He hugged Donghae under the steady flow of water, content for the moment. They washed each other thoroughly with the cleaner that had just been left there for this purpose, gentle fingers wiping away the semi-dried come sticking to their skin, and Donghae swirled a gentle finger inside him to clean the come still leaking out of his body as Hyukjae leaned against him and softly moaned. Hyukjae forced himself to stretch, getting his muscles into working properly again. By the time they were done with their shower and went back to their room, Hyukjae felt far steadier on his feet. He knew he was walking oddly, but at least he wasn't limping.

 

Redressing in their room, they cleaned the sleep pad in the air cleaner, and then went to go relieve Amber for watch.

 

“I see that you are walking,” Amber commented as they entered the flight deck, her eyes turned up in amusement.

 

“Yeah, still not totally steady, but walking,” Hyukjae replied, catching her covered yawn. “Go to sleep,” he chided.

 

“I will. Are you going to the night market?”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “Probably, depends on what we can pull off the probe or out of our supplies to trade.”

 

Amber nodded and gave both of them a kiss before she left to go to sleep. Hyukjae pulled Donghae into his lap for a cuddle and for both of them to savor their physical closeness while they listened to the sounds of a bustling market through the open communicators that both Song Qian and Zhou Mi wore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated


	6. the space of relaxation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well I wasn't going to post this until after I had finished the next chapter, but eh whatevs. next chapter might be delayed due to kcon. gets a little smutty in the middle, and remember that whole moral ambiguity? yeah.

By the time everyone returned to the ship, thankfully all in one piece and not being chased, he and Donghae had adjusted their position to where Hyukjae was slouching in Donghae's lap, his legs propped up on the darkened piloting console, while Donghae had his legs spread to give Hyukjae room on the seat and his hands lightly resting on Hyukjae's stomach.

 

“Ah, you both look far more pleasant,” Zhou Mi commented, smiling.

 

“Well I don't feel like killing the next person that I see anymore,” Hyukjae joked back. “Did you have a good time at the day market?”

 

“We did, and we were successful in obtaining some needed items.”

 

“Oh?” Donghae asked.

 

“Water filtration spares-”

 

“Oh thank God,” Hyukjae said in a rush.

 

“Also new clothing and some parts for the engines,” Song Qian finished, her lips curving at Hyukjae's outburst.

 

“Really? What did you trade for all that?” Hyukjae asked incredulously.

 

“My water bottle,” Sora replied as she dropped into the other piloting chair.

 

Hyukjae waited for a second, expecting a 'haha just kidding,' but Sora looked serious. “Your... water bottle?”

 

“I mean, yeah it was one of those really nice hydroflasks, but I didn't think it would be _that_ important.”

 

“It does seem as if many of the goods from your world that you consider common would fetch a good price for useful items,” Song Qian said. “We bargained for all of that, and I never needed to offer my time as well.”

 

“That's really impressive,” Hyukjae said. “What do we still need on our list?”

 

“More clothing for all of us, fabric to create formal clothing for the three of you, two more tiles to patch the hull so we do not have to divert power, more parts for the engines, and fresh food,” Song Qian replied. “I believe that your mother is the best negotiator for the food, she bargained the food vendor down to the barest profit.”

 

Hyukjae snorted. “Yeah, if you need a good deal on food, take Mom. I've seen her wear down so many of the ahjummas for vegetables before. Just tell her what to look for and she can get it for the cheapest price,” he said, snuggling back into Donghae a little more.

 

“Am I hearing actual praise from my child who whined every time I took him to the market about my food purchasing habits?” Deokbon teased as she wandered in.

 

Hyukjae laughed. “Yes, Mom, you're the best at getting good deals on food. Did you bring anything back?” he asked hopefully.

 

Deokbon rolled her eyes affectionately. “Yes, you sweet tooth, we brought you food and sweets back. It's in the kitchen area.”

 

Hyukjae promptly dropped his feet to the floor, tugging Donghae up from the seat. “We're going to go eat,” he called as they ran out of the flight deck.

 

The crew area was half crowded, his father chatting more familiarly with the admiral, while the younger military personnel grouped together away from the two older men. Hyukjae guessed it was not only a generational gap, but also since they were all roughly the same rank that gave them a more comfortable atmosphere. “Where's the food?” he asked.

 

“In your refrigerator thing,” Zoe replied, pointing. “I didn't even know you had that.”

 

“Some items that Zhang officials consider needed for good cuisine must be kept chilled,” Donghae said, sitting down while Hyukjae grabbed their food. “It has proven useful for us as well.”

 

Hyukjae's mouth started watering as soon as he had opened the door, seeing the containers of dark noodles and pieces of meat with varied vegetables, or at least he called them vegetables, piled up on top of them. He grabbed two of the three containers, grabbed utensils, and then slid in next to Donghae, handing over the food.

 

“Isn't that made to be eaten hot?”

 

Hyukjae held up a finger while he chewed and swallowed the large bite he'd already shoved into his mouth. “Hot or cold, it still tastes good. Besides, I don't care, I'm hungry,” he finished, stuffing yet another bite into his mouth. He caught Donghae's brief smirk out of the corner of his eye that was quickly covered by a bit of food and he nudged Donghae's knee affectionately.

 

“When was the last time either of you ate?” Zoe asked, her tone implying that she was asking for medical reasons.

 

“Uh... oh damn, it was almost a full _farn_ ago. No wonder I'm so hungry,” Hyukjae said in between mouthfuls. “For your medical records, we usually eat at least three to four times in a _farn_.”

 

“When we have fresh food,” Donghae corrected. “The food cubes will decrease hunger so that we only consume them twice in one _farn_. We will most likely purchase food again when we go to the night market.”

 

“What's at the night market?” Seungchul asked. “The day market looked pretty packed, is it the same vendors?”

 

“No, different vendors come for the night markets.”

 

“Including black market items?” Alex asked curiously.

 

“Yes, more vendors will have illegal goods for sale, but you will need to be invited to view them,” Donghae explained. “Which is why Hyukjae and myself will be going with you. It is standard for business people to hire former criminals for protection services as you are going through the markets.”

 

“You're making the night market sound more like a free-for-all rather than a business location.”

 

Donghae's eyebrows furrowed. “Free... for all?” he asked curiously, and Hyukjae guessed that the idiom had been translated literally.

 

“A saying about everyone fighting for themselves, no cooperative effort, kind of like a large brawl,” Hyukjae explained.

 

“Ah. It can be, but that is why the need for hiring others to provide protection.”

 

“Is Amber coming as well?” Alex asked, chewing on her lower lip.

 

“No, she will stay aboard the ship for watch. Twin does not enjoy large crowds, as they are far too... _noisy_.”

 

“Oh right, your genetic modifications? I can't imagine being telephathic and having enhanced senses, that must be a nightmare in larger crowds,” Zoe said, her face twisting up. “Wait, then why are you going?”

 

“The crowds do not bother me as much,” Donghae said with a note of finality. Hyukjae nudged Donghae's knee under the table and kept it there until Donghae looked at him and smiled. Hyukjae had soothed more than a few nightmares for both twins about the continuing modification treatment that they had been subjected to. Not only was it painful, but they were separated while it was being performed. Amber's treatment was completed while Donghae's wasn't, and Donghae felt guilty about that aspect of their lives.

 

Zoe nodded, not put off by the tone. “All right, I won't press here since there's a total lack of doctor-patient confidentiality, but if you feel like telling me later, come find me. I'm probably going to be poking around the now usable medical bay and hoping like _hell_ there's some medical files for all of you so I can at least get an idea of what a normal baseline is for you in case I have to patch you up.”

 

“You really need a vacation, don't you?” Hyukjae asked.

 

“Where do you think I was going when I was yanked off my flight and onto a transport?” she replied, her voice suddenly tired. She rubbed her hands down her face. “God, I just want a week of sleep without having to worry about someone dying if I nod off for more than three minutes or being woken up by yet another bomb or mortar.” She laughed shortly. “That sounds so pathetic, I've only been on deployment for two and a half years. You've been out here for six.”

 

“It's not exactly a competition about who has it worse for longer,” Hyukjae pointed out quietly, then shrugged. “I found and made family, so it's not like I've been doing everything by myself without that kind of emotional support.” He waited a beat, his lips curling. “It also doesn't hurt that I'm getting laid on a regular basis, which does wonders for my mood.”

 

Zoe burst out laughing, her hands coming up to cover her face. Hyukjae smiled, glad he'd lightened the atmosphere.

 

“Hyukjae...”

 

Hyukjae turned to face his father. “I got her to laugh,” he said, pointing at Zoe, whose shoulders were still shaking.

 

His father tilted his head after a second, acknowledging the point and accepting why Hyukjae said what he had. Everyone had seen how much stress Zoe had been under, and Hyukjae was hoping that some of the stress would be relieved by making her laugh.

 

“Okay you got me on that one,” Zoe ruefully admitted. “What else should we be expecting at the night market? Does everyone wear masks there too?”

 

“Yes. It's a large market, so the masks serve not only as a means of obscuring identification, but also as a health protective measure,” Donghae said. “The only time the masks are accepted to be off is when one is eating food, or checking for ripeness.” He paused and habitually looked over his shoulder, a move that Hyukjae knew.

 

“What's wrong?” he asked.

 

“Twin,” Donghae replied, standing up from the table and slipping out of the crew area.

 

Hyukjae sighed and grabbed the last container of food along with another set of utensils.

 

“Anything wrong?” Samuel asked, his voice slow but with an alertness that never seemed to go away.

 

“Amber probably just woke up,” Hyukjae said, knowing that she'd probably just woken up out of a nightmare because of the lack of minds around her. “They'll be back,” he said, shoving more food into his mouth. He kept eating, not out of not wanting to speak further, but because he was just damned hungry, and he might be needed to help Amber come down from the nightmare. He only paused when he felt the soft brush of a hand on his arm before a solid, yet soft body curled up beside him, leaning heavily. Wrapping a familiar arm around Amber's shoulders, he pulled her close, letting her fill her senses with him. “Nightmare?” he whispered into her ear.

 

She nodded, clinging to him and sniffing while Donghae sat back down on his other side. Amber calmed down physically faster with him, as long as she had her twin's mind to cling to, and Hyukjae had stopped trying to work out the whys. “Hurts,” she muttered, so faint that he could barely hear it.

 

Hyukjae grimaced, knowing what that meant. She definitely had a nightmare about the genetic modifications again, and her joints ached. Giving her a brotherly kiss on her forehead, he pulled her into his lap, letting her rest against him while he finished the last few bites of his food.

 

He smiled thankfully when he noticed that everyone had lowered their voices to quiet murmurs while he and Donghae soothed Amber to the point where she was once again fully in the present and could eat the food they fed her. Hyukjae kept her tucked against him as she sniffed every bite of food before eating it, but halfway through her container, her hands came up to grab the utensils out of Donghae's hand. She winced with nearly every movement but she was able to feed herself, which was a marked improvement.

 

When the food was gone, Hyukjae tugged Amber up, nodding his head slightly to everyone. “We're going to go take a nap, and I suggest the same for all of you that are going to the night market, too. You need to be well rested and alert for it.”

 

Donghae waved him on while gathering their utensils and trash. “I will clean up.”

 

Hyukjae smiled, knowing that it was his job to get Amber settled back down for more sleep and Donghae would join him.

 

“Do you want to sleep with us?” he offered as soon as they were away from prying eyes.

 

She sighed, pushing her lips out with her breath. “As much as I want to say that I will be fine on my own, I believe it would be best if I did so,” she said, a note of defeat in her voice.

 

“Hey, you know it's not an issue with us,” he soothed. “I want you to get some sleep.” Bypassing Amber's room, he helped her into his and Donghae's, and stripped enough of their clothing off to be comfortable in the warm temperatures while they slept, before helping her stretch out. Donghae came in just as he laid down next to Amber, and he stripped down, curling easily around Hyukjae.

 

He smiled, tightening his arms around both twins. He was forever amused that both of them liked to cling to him after a nightmare rather than each other, but their inability to articulate why left it in something of a mystery. Settling back, he shut his eyes and took steady, deep breaths until he fell asleep.

 

When he woke up, it was to a fuller sleeping pad than it had been when he went to sleep. Song Qian and Zhou Mi had apparently seen Amber sleeping with he and Donghae and they had simply slept there too. The only times they had really all slept together like this was when they felt safe enough to do so – either at a such rarely used jump point that it would be nearly impossible to be stumbled upon or on a friendly planet – but never while they had others on board.

 

He had a nice second of panic before he felt Song Qian's hand on his arm. “Your parents are serving watch, and the ship is locked down to where only I can unlock it,” she explained over Amber.

 

Hyukjae blew out his breath, nodding. Song Qian would not leave anything unattended, and he relaxed, patting her hand in both acknowledgment and an apology. She'd wedged herself in between Zhou Mi and Amber to sleep, and one of Zhou Mi's long arms was wrapped protectively over both of them. Hyukjae rolled onto his side to face her, propping his head up. “Are you going to market?”

 

She tilted her head slightly. “Yes, but I feel that I would be better utilized by gathering information and garnering favors,” she murmured, stroking Amber's arm. “There are more than enough people going and a large crowd would attract attention.”

 

“True. I think we're going to split into two groups as well to evade detection.”

 

“I will take your sister to pose as my companion, with Samuel Latu and Park Seungchul to the upper market,” Zhou Mi said, his voice soft. “They can easily pass as guards for me.”

 

“I will bring Zoe Vasconcelos with me...” Song Qian began, and Hyukjae rapidly shook his head. “No?”

 

“Our medical people are not time givers as well, unlike out here, and she would most likely be insulted at the insinuation, given that it's illegal in many places on our world,” he explained.

 

“Really?” Song Qian asked, her eyes wide. “How does she have medical knowledge then?”

 

“She went to a specialized school to learn, and they don't teach the arts of entertainment there.”

 

Song Qian shrugged. “Very well. I would like to take one other, though.”

 

“Yeah I don't think I'd be comfortable with you going by yourself. You can take her, but have her be protection for you.”

 

Song Qian's mouth curved. “That will net much higher offers for my time.”

 

“And better information,” Zhou Mi added. “I will assist you with covering the marking.”

 

“My appreciation,” she murmured back.

 

Hyukjae heard the low growl in stereo, and he wasn't shocked when he was pulled back suddenly against Donghae's body, a possessive hand curling over his hip. Amber was blinking her eyes open, the glow quickly going away as her senses told her the identity of everyone. He arched his head slightly as Donghae sniffed at his neck, biting at it.

 

“Bad dream?” he asked, more to Amber given the way that Donghae was sniffing and growling at him.

 

“Yes, probably because of my previous nightmare,” Amber replied, sitting up. “Because we are together, it was tolerable and we woke before it proceeded. We will refresh ourselves and I will help prepare everyone for the night market.”

 

“Yeah that might be a good idea,” Hyukjae said ruefully. “We'll be there shortly. Probably after your brother gets done pinning me down.”

 

Both Zhou Mi and Song Qian laughed, collecting their clothes and shoes as they followed Amber. The door had barely shut when Donghae growled loudly, pinning him face first into the sleeping pad and keeping him in place with his body.

 

“Donghae,” he called softly, once he turned his head. “Hey, are you okay?”

 

“You are _alive_ ,” Donghae said forcefully, the growl intensifying, as if he was trying to make it fact. “You are _mine_.”

 

“That one again?” he asked, his voice gentling, his arms pulling Donghae's body closer. “Do you feel me?” he asked.

 

Donghae grunted.

 

“You can hear my heart beating?” he continued, feeling the tenseness begin to leave the body on top of his.

 

“Yes,” Donghae replied, the growl fading.

 

“Can you smell yourself all over me?”

 

Donghae sniffed at his neck, then moved until he was sniffing at Hyukjae's ass. “Oh...” Donghae's voice was soft and wondrous as he settled back on top of Hyukjae, their fingers threading together.

 

Hyukjae smiled, squeezing Donghae's hand tightly. “I'm here,” he soothed as Donghae took deep breaths of air in and gradually relaxed on top of him. He shifted his hips slightly, putting Donghae in a more suggestive position against him, and he smiled at the feeling of Donghae already hard against his ass. “Are you waiting on a fancy invitation to get inside me?” he teased when Donghae hadn't moved after a minute.

 

Donghae nuzzled his face into Hyukjae's shoulder. “Do you want to have sex?” he asked, his voice uncertain. “I just pinned you down and sniffed at you like some wild animal and almost attacked you...” he continued, his voice embarrassed.

 

Hyukjae snorted slightly, rolling his hips backwards. “Donghae, the wildness is a part of you, and I love every single bit of you, including the parts of yourself that you were taught to hate and be ashamed of.” He glanced up at Donghae out of the corners of his eyes. “The answer to your question is yes, I want to have sex with you now. I'm absurdly aroused at the moment because you sniffed my ass, and I _really_ want to have sex right now assuming you're agreeable,” he said in a far more self-depreciating tone.

 

Donghae smiled, the hint of wildness peeking through. “Always,” Donghae said, sniffing at him. “I will always take any chance to have you smelling like you and me.”

 

As Donghae went to grab the lubricant, Hyukjae shrugged a little to himself. It would probably take Song Qian some time to get ready, and they could probably indulge without delaying their arrival to the night market. The vendors would be there all for the night hours too, so all he had to really worry about at the moment was his ability to walk in a straight line. Rolling his hips again, he moaned softly when Donghae laid back down on top of him and he rubbed his body against Donghae's.

 

Donghae didn't bother stripping him, just tugged what little clothing was between them away just far enough to prep and slide inside him. Hyukjae would have never thought that tiny little thrusts and grinding would have ever been enough to get him off, but he easily fell apart under Donghae, screaming into the sleeping pad when he felt the abrupt swelling within him. He came down from his orgasm feeling Donghae solidly over him and within him, and feeling so safe with Donghae's hands covering his and the soft kisses being placed against his neck.

 

“Hyukjae,” Donghae whispered, his voice soft and content. Hyukjae smiled, knowing that he was loved.

 

They only moved enough to be on their sides so Hyukjae could breathe easier, and they listened to the others coming back from their long water shower, the steady hum of conversation giving a sense of contentment not often found while waiting for the swelling to go down enough so that Donghae could pull out of him.

 

Donghae stroked him to yet another orgasm, and he groaned in both disappointment and relief when Donghae was able to pull out of him. The multiple times Donghae had been within him across one _farn_ was making him sore, and he'd probably need to stretch again while they were taking a shower.

 

Standing with a groan, he peeled off his soiled clothes and grabbed new ones, grimacing slightly. “We're gonna go shower,” he called, hearing the various assents returning to him as Donghae wrapped a steady arm around his waist and helped him to the shower.

 

The water felt amazing to him as he showered, Donghae cleaning him softly, and he returned the favor before stretching himself back out, his muscles protesting each movement.

 

He and Donghae dressed identically once they were dry and back in their room, both of them pulling on tight black tank tops and the pants that Hyukjae called almost-jeans. It wasn't the first time that they had posed as protection, and as they pulled on their normal holsters and secured their weapons, Song Qian finally stepped out of her room. Her hair was in a simple updo that could be recreated easily and secured with pins, while her bright blue and yellow dress, barely caught on either of her shoulders, was such a contrast to what he and Donghae wore. Her makeup was already done as well, the small detailed marking of a time giver between her eyebrows filled in with red, and Hyukjae could tell that it was Zhou Mi's work. She carried her shoes in her hand, the uncomfortable-looking footwear hanging off her fingers. Zhou Mi also exited his room dressed in one of the many robes Hyukjae had not seen before. It was obviously well made, and gave Zhou Mi an air of being high enough in social strata to be well treated, but did not immediately set him up for being targeted for kidnapping and ransom.

 

“Once your parents have been relieved of watch, I will unlock the armory,” Song Qian said as they made their way towards the flight deck.

 

Hyukjae nodded. “We might have to wake everyone up...” his voice trailed off as he saw everyone gathered in the flight deck already. “Or not,” he finished with a shrug.

 

“I don't know if I want to continue being pissed off that you locked us out of everywhere but like three spots, or just be very confused...” Samuel said, his head tilting as he looked over Zhou Mi and Song Qian.

 

“Right now, I'm going with confused,” Sora said.

 

Samuel took a deep breath, let it out and nodded. “Confused sounds like a good plan. I thought that the entire point was to _not_ draw attention to yourselves?”

 

Zhou Mi looked confused for a brief moment before shaking his head. “For me to dress in subdued clothing would draw more attention, given the nature of the items I will be seeking to barter,” he explained. “You, however, will need to be in subdued clothing.”

 

The admiral sat down in the weapons chair and leaned forward on his cane. “What plan have you already come up with?” he asked a little sharply.

 

Hyukjae shrugged and leaned against the holographic console. “Right now, current plan is for my parents to get some sleep while Amber serves watch. You're welcome to stay up here as well while the rest of us go to the night market to try and get everything else that we need, plus extras. We'll be splitting into three groups–“

 

“Why not all together like we were?” Alex asked.

 

“The night market is not like the day market. Large crowds are noticed by authorities,” Donghae said firmly.

 

“Like I was saying, three groups. Zhou Mi is going to the upper market with Sora noona, Park Seungchul, and Samuel Latu. Donghae and I are going to take you with us to the lower market, and Song Qian is taking Doctor Vasconcelos with her.”

 

The console beeped twice, and Hyukjae looked over to look at Song Qian. “Come,” she said, sweeping out of the flight deck, the soft material of her dress rustling softly against the floor as she moved.

 

Once everyone had gathered outside the armory, Donghae, Amber, and Song Qian typed in their personal codes to open the door. When the door opened, Hyukjae grinned at the gasps.

 

“You've been sitting on an arsenal this entire time, but you were upset about us bringing our guns?” Seungchul asked, his eyebrows arching.

 

Hyukjae shrugged and entered the room. All sorts of weapons were packed and displayed carefully, and Donghae immediately gravitated towards his and Hyukjae's preferred hand weapons.

 

“That's... a lot of weapons,” the admiral commented.

 

“Yeah, remember that charge about illegal distribution of weapons? This was our small fee for doing that,” Hyukjae explained.

 

“A small fee huh? How much were you hauling?” Alex asked, her eyes wide as she looked around.

 

“A lot.” Hyukjae answered honestly. “Before you ask, no we didn't bother asking what they were going to be used for.” He shrugged in response to the slightly horrified looks and grabbed a few of the 'cool laser pistols' to check the charge on them before handing them out to everyone who would need to have them obviously displayed. “These work just like guns, aim and shoot, there's no stun setting. Don't worry about anyone behind the target, a body provides enough resistance to the shot to keep it from spreading, but it does get a little messy on the back side. Safety is the white button, it's on right now.”

 

“What if you want non-lethal?” Zoe asked, twisting the weapon in her hand.

 

“Uh... I guess try and aim for the leg or something? I don't know,” Hyukjae replied. “If I'm getting shot at, I'm not exactly looking to give someone a second shot at killing me. Your basic job is to look like a bouncer at a high end club, and if you’re doing it right, you shouldn't have any problems.”

 

“So if you have to pull this out,” Samuel said, lofting the weapon, “then it's already a worst case scenario?”

 

“Yes. Holsters are over there,” he said, pointing. “The loop goes up towards the grip and hooks onto the bit that sticks out next to the safety.”

 

“Efficient,” Samuel muttered. “How many shots does this have?”

 

“It's a charge. You can probably do continuous shooting for probably half a standard before it runs out.”

 

“What about clothes?” Alex asked. “You said something about more subdued?”

 

Hyukjae shrugged, grabbing a meltpack and the thing he called a glow knife, since he'd never really gotten around to asking what it was actually called. “Sora noona is the only one that really needs to change into anything different, all of you are fine in what you have on now, but if you want to give it a quick wash, toss it into the air shower.”

 

“Why is your sister going?” Hyukjae's mother asked, the nerves evident.

 

“Someone of my status would not be attending the upper market without a companion,” Zhou Mi explained. “The upper market is almost a social function, with excellent quality goods. It would be most unusual for me to appear with two guards and no companion.” He smiled gently at Deokbon, and gathered her hands. “I give you my word that she will come to no harm.”

 

Deokbon was quiet for a moment before finally nodding. “I'll hold you to that.”

 

Hyukjae touched Sora's elbow to get her to follow him to a point further back away from the crowd. “Here,” he said, pushing the items into her hands. “Take these with you... just in case, okay? This one,” he explained, touching the meltpack, “get it on the back as high as you can manage and then slap it to activate it. If you have to use the glow knife, hold it at this end. Go low and go for the gut.” He could tell that she was disquieted, but she nodded, and he smiled slightly. “I know you're upset noona, and I'm sorry... I'm not the same person that left Earth. I've done a lot of things, and not everything I'm proud of. I still have nightmares from some things and I wish that I could go back in time and make different decisions.” He sighed. “But I can't. I have to live with them, and if I was on Earth, I'd have been in prison a long time ago. All I know how to do anymore is just survive and try and protect them as best I can.”

 

Sora sniffed, a few tears escaping her eyes, but she nodded finally. “There's some spark of you left over... but I know why you've changed too. It's just going to take me a little time to get used to the you now instead of remembering you on Earth.” Her grin was watery, but it was there. “Who else besides my little brother would shove two weapons in my hand and tell me how to use them?”

 

Hyukjae puffed a laugh out through his teeth. “Yeah, only I would. But those... I don't think you'll need them. You're going to have two guys who are trained special forces operatives, along with Zhou Mi, and if anything gets through _him_ I'll be very surprised.”

 

Sora tilted her head slightly to look at Zhou Mi, then back at him. “Really?” she asked skeptically.

 

“The twins you'll see coming, but him...” he trailed off and shook his head. “Song Qian probably has a respectable dress or two to dress you up in. You're his companion, but not a hired one, which means you have status as well, either as a betrothed or as a favored concubine, which means you have valued opinions and goods to trade. Most vendors will probably try to catch your attention so that you will convince Zhou Mi to barter with them,” he explained. “He knows what we're looking for, but don't worry about looking at something that's not on the list. He'll indulge you in browsing, but it's up to him to barter, okay?”

 

She nodded, then pulled him in for a hug. He relaxed against her and tried to get his brain resorted. “I still love you, monkey,” she murmured against his ear.

 

He smiled. “I love you too, noona,” he said as he pulled back, and he caught Song Qian out of the corner of his eye. “Need to get her dressed?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

 

She nodded slightly. “It will not take long,” she said, guiding Sora towards the door. Hyukjae blew his breath out, looking around the room, smiling a little at how quickly Amber was warming up to his parents. They'd be off to the market soon enough, and he'd probably need to help get everyone fully ready, including drawing fake tattoos and explaining the shapes and looks of needed items.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated


	7. the space of markets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay, I was hit with kcon plus serious procrastination when it came to writing this chapter (ironically bc I want to get to what comes next!) but thanks for hanging in there, gang. I hope this was worth the wait!

They had been able to attend the markets for all three _farn_ of the festival, and everyone had gathered on the top of the ship as Qinyan's sun set on the final night in anticipation of the light shows from the floating lanterns and fireworks. Donghae was relaxing within Hyukjae's arms, their fingers tangled together as they waited for the sun to fully set below the horizon. He could already see several stars in the sky in unfamiliar patterns, some larger than anything he would ever see from Earth.

 

“This is incredible,” Deokbon said, her face tilted up to look at the sky. “I'm sitting on the top of an actual spaceship on an alien world and looking at stars that I've only ever seen through a telescope...”

 

Hyukjae grinned. “Just in case anyone ever wondered where I get it from...” he teased.

 

“Can we see our sun from here?” she asked.

 

“I don't see why we shouldn't be able to, since we can see out into space. Qinyan is only a few thousand light years away from Earth.” He shrugged. “It would probably just be a yellowish dot to our eyes without a decent-sized telescope.”

 

“I do wonder if that is why your world has been spared so far,” Zhou Mi said. “While there are many worlds in the Empire, most do orbit stars unlike yours.”

 

“Doesn't the Emperor employ like thousands of astronomers though?”

 

“Yes, but I do not know if they actually perform their job functions or not. They could be looking for stars similar to what they already have within the Empire, and not expanding their search, even though there are worlds within the Empire that orbit stars that would not normally considered to be habitable.”

 

Hyukjae sighed. “I'd love to get my hands on that data, I want to figure out what stars they are looking at and where they fit on the main sequence.”

 

“Nerd,” Sora teased.

 

“It takes one to know one,” he shot back.

 

“Ah, the lanterns are beginning to be released,” Song Qian said, looking more attentive.

 

Covered lanterns rose in the sky, each paper covering seemingly a different color, the bright lights within sending out a barrage of color in all directions. Once a lantern had reached a pre-programmed altitude, it would ignite the fireworks material and explode with bright bursts of color that enraptured everyone on top of the ship. The lanterns kept being released as the sky grew darker, until the large golden lantern rose above the village to hover above the ground and bells began to ring.

 

“What's the significance of this festival?” Alex asked, her fingers lightly playing on the hem of her pants. Hyukjae had thought that she had looked uncomfortable all day, wincing slightly when she was addressed, and he wondered if she had a headache from how tightly her hair was pinned against her head.

 

“In ancient times, before the Zhang, it marked the end of the planting season, and people would rest after their labors. After the Zhang, it became more a joyous festival, used to mark the passage of a solar cycle. Families gather to acknowledge those that have died, and gifts are exchanged between family members,” Song Qian explained.

 

“That sounds like a mix of Chuseok and New Year's,” Hyukjae's father commented.

 

“Does this happen on every world within the Empire?” Sora asked, the jewels from the pins in her elaborate hairstyle swaying slightly with movement.

 

“Not all at the same time, but there are many similar festivals throughout the Empire. The Night of Lanterns is just one of the most well-known, as it usually coincides closely with the holiday marking the Emperor's celebrated birth date,” Zhou Mi said, standing, then courteously helped Sora and Song Qian stand.

 

“We're going together tonight right?” Alex asked as she stood.

 

“Yes. I am bringing you into contact with a supplier for the hull tiles, since the person I am portraying would have no need for them. You and your guards are there as my guests to be connected with other business. While we will probably draw some attention due to the large size of the group, it should not be anything too much.”

 

They all reentered the ship to finish preparing for the market before loading up into the cargo vessel and flying to the market area. Song Qian and Zoe were the first off the ship, both of them effortlessly blending into the crowds for the markets. Hyukjae knew that Song Qian had already garnered a large amount of money and favors, most of which she would keep for herself, to be used when she felt as if it were needed. Zoe had asked him after the first night if he resented Song Qian for keeping most of her profits instead of using them to better their lives while out in space. He'd only shook his head, explaining that it was her time, knowledge, and body that people paid for and that it was her earned right to keep things. Song Qian had already slipped him and Zhou Mi a good amount of money to be used in bartering, and he was more than content with it. They wouldn't starve, they'd gotten almost everything on their shopping list, and they'd barely had to use anything that Song Qian had given them.

 

Two of Qinyan's moons were already visible in the sky by the time that they had finally gotten into the upper market, and Hyukjae tried to look as imposing as he could, given that he was next to Samuel, who was at least a good half a meter taller and wider than Hyukjae could ever hope to be.

 

Instead of heading directly for the vendor, they browsed about, taking a circuitous path, which allowed all of them to spot Zhang officials and soldiers. They were noticed as a large group, but as they made their way around and it became more obvious at the way Alex was obviously a guest who had her own protection, attention drifted away from them. Hyukjae watched his sister cautiously browse, her eyes darting over jewelry mostly, the hair pins and jeweled headpieces not so different than what she had back on Earth. They took a small break for food, all of their stomachs beginning to protest the lack of food.

 

They sat in a group, Zhou Mi, Sora, and Alex protected as they faced towards each other while everyone who posed as protection faced outwards, constantly on the alert for any threats to the others. Hyukjae and Donghae took the most care while eating, slinging their masks around their chins to quickly eat before settling the masks back on their faces properly.

 

“You okay noona?” he quietly asked Sora.

 

“Yeah, kinda,” she replied back just as quietly as he'd asked, and he could hear the fabric of her light green dress rustle. “Just feeling a little weird at playing someone rich.”

 

Hyukjae smiled behind his mask and swung his eyes around the food vendor area.

 

“You did not grow up in wealth?” Zhou Mi asked, and Hyukjae caught his look between he and his sister.

 

Sora laughed a little and shook her head. “If anything, we were desperately poor. We always had food to eat and shelter, but a lot of other things were luxuries. Our visit to Ulsan was one of the few times we all got to enjoy a family vacation. I guess that's why I reacted yesterday to the slave auction. If it wasn't illegal, that could have been us,” she finished, her voice quiet and choked.

 

Hyukjae sighed, biting his lip. “Try and put it out of your mind, noona. There's nothing we can really do.”

 

“Why not?” she asked, her voice sharper.

 

Hyukjae looked around, not having an answer – at least anything that wasn't an excuse. They were always running, barely had enough food to survive no matter how he tried to present it otherwise, and would it really be so much a life if they were captured and tortured?

 

“I'm guessing that they don't have the money to either purchase and or feed every slave that they came across,” Alex supplied. “It's detestable, I agree, but I also understand why they've had to numb themselves to it, especially since they've been on the run.”

 

Sora sighed. “I guess I can understand that.”

 

“Perhaps, now that we have now dealt with the probe and we can hide ourselves more effectively, we could potentially help others once more,” Donghae said.

 

Hyukjae smiled, reminded that their lives for the past Earth year or so would hopefully be behind them. “Maybe,” he agreed.

 

“That is now a possibility,” Zhou Mi said. “Let us focus on this task, and we could make further plans when time permits.”

 

Hyukjae turned his head to look at Sora when he heard his name being called softly. Out of line of sight and covered by their bodies, Sora had her pinky finger stuck out. Smiling, he slipped his arm behind him to hook his pinky with hers. “I promise noona, we'll make plans and help out where we can,” he said.

 

“We will survive first, but we will try to help,” Zhou Mi said.

 

“That's all I can really ask for,” Sora replied, letting go of Hyukjae's finger. “Should we go get the tiles now? There's a guy over there giving me a really creepy look.”

 

“Yeah, I saw him,” Seungchul replied.

 

Hyukjae was getting angry because there was no way he could turn all the way around to find who was creeping his sister out, and Donghae softly touched his arm. He took a deep breath and forced the anger back down. He had to trust others to do their jobs in keeping Sora protected.

 

Zhou Mi made a disgusted noise. “I believe he is attempting to work out if you are betrothed or if you are a favored concubine. Either way, I know his type. The only question will be if he attempts to approach you himself or if he sends a messenger.”

 

Sora sighed. “I guess some things are truly universal. I thought dodging pushy coworkers was bad enough.”

 

“Do you want me to kill them?” Hyukjae immediately asked, waiting for anyone to stand so they could get moving and so he could actually look around.

 

“That's a little disturbing because you actually would kill them now.”

 

Seungchul snorted loud enough for Hyukjae to hear. “I'll be happy to put the fear of God into them without deadly force for you when we get back, considering that your brother is technically _dead and cannot be seen_.”

 

“Small issue,” Hyukjae muttered.

 

“I might take you up on that. As much as I love you Hyukjae, you'd take any excuse to hurt someone over me,” Sora explained in a rush. “Or do I need to remind you of the time you almost got kicked out of school?”

 

“He was cheating on you,” he said hotly. Having an argument with his sister was a lot less exciting when he couldn't turn around and face her.

 

He saw Donghae's eyes turn up and his shoulders shake once.

 

“And I could have handled it, just like I can handle my coworkers and this guy. Let's go get the tiles.”

 

Hearing the shuffling that indicated getting up, he rose as well, irritated but not really able to pinpoint why other than Sora getting the best of him in an argument. Donghae was smiling at him from behind the mask and he smiled back, feeling his irritation bank. They'd traverse the upper market again, then arrive at the vendor for the hull tiles, Alex would bargain and they'd get the tiles and back to the ship.

 

At least that was what he hoped would happen.

 

They'd made it halfway through the market, where Zhou Mi had stopped them. He bartered quickly for several pieces of jewelry that Song Qian could use, including hair pins, portraying his part perfectly by holding them up for Sora's inspection and approval. She nodded quickly at the blue and purple ones but was a little more hesitant about things that looked green or yellow or the sickening combination of both, and Hyukjae wondered if it appeared differently to others who came from redder star systems. Several of the hairpins that had what looked like black jewels hanging off them Zhou Mi had also added without checking with Sora, and Hyukjae knew that those were of colors that they couldn't see. But the more immediate concern was the soldiers he'd spotted in the tent behind the vendor.

 

“Donghae?” he asked quietly.

 

“Hm?” Donghae shot him a quick look before scanning the crowd again.

 

“Soldiers in the tent. They look like they're playing one of the gambling games.”

 

“Yes, I saw them enter earlier.”

 

“There's another group roaming around, possibly drunk,” Samuel said, having overheard his and Donghae's quiet conversation.

 

“Great, drunk soldiers on shore leave,” Hyukjae muttered.

 

“I was _really_ hoping you wouldn't say that,” Seungchul grumbled. He was facing towards the vendor just as Hyukjae was while Samuel and Donghae watched the crowds. “How much leeway do they have with the law?”

 

“More than what we do,” Hyukjae answered since he was the closest and had the least chance of being over heard by the vendor, who was locked in a heated bartering session with Zhou Mi over all the hairpins and several more pieces of jewelry.

 

“You are asking far too much for such little items,” Zhou Mi said, and Hyukjae's attention sharpened. “Especially for things that could be obtained anywhere.”

 

“Ah but you stopped here,” the vendor pointed out, a tad too smug for Hyukjae's liking.

 

“We can easily leave,” Zhou Mi returned, his entire manner bored. “Though other vendors look of slightly less quality, they would not be wanting so much for so little, and I have other matters to be attending,” he said with a gesture towards Alex. “I have also noticed that aside from those drunken _zougou_ in your tent, you have not had many other patrons.”

 

Hyukjae saw the vendor flinch slightly, and he let his hand rest easily on his weapon. The vendor glanced between him, Seungchul, and Zhou Mi before casting a glance behind him. Hyukjae noted that the vendor's eyes were narrowed a little, only one cheek lifted slightly, and it didn't take much to deduce that the vendor was disgusted at the soldiers behind him. “There are few options when hospitality is demanded,” the vendor said, a little roughly, and Hyukjae wondered if he had guessed the situation wrongly – it wouldn't be the first time he'd done so, and he doubted it would ever be the last.

 

Zhou Mi tilted his head to the side slightly. “Of course. There are many who understand that situation well, including myself.”

 

The vendor looked them over again, his eyes lingering on Alex and the tattoos on Donghae and Samuel before looking at Zhou Mi and Sora. “It is comforting to know that others have not been offered the choice of hospitality as well.”

 

“Not only hospitality but also justice,” Zhou Mi replied, flicking his eyes pointedly to Hyukjae. Hyukjae looked back, totally impassive, knowing what angle Zhou Mi was going for. They'd gotten one of their many weaponry runs from conversations just like this, and he wouldn't be averse to getting back to what they had been able to survive well off of.

 

The vendor blew out a breath of air sympathetically. “Not unheard of in these troubled times, the Mandate seems to be moving quickly. He is your kin?”

 

“My betrothed's,” Zhou Mi answered. “The children of a Hou.”

 

The vendor shot a glance behind him before nodding his head in a brief bow. “My sympathies for your family Lady...”

 

“Sora,” Sora supplied. “My brother and I have been fortunate where many others have not.”

 

The vendor nodded. “It is good that you know of that, Lady Sora. Perhaps the prices are slightly higher than they should be...”

 

Zhou Mi smiled slightly. “They are, but enforced hospitality also incurs its own price. We should be able to come to a mutually satisfactory price for these items.”

 

The two bargained to a mid point, trading goods and money for the jewelry. “Once my... _guests_ have left in the next standard, there might be additional business that we could conduct.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “We shall return then. Our wishes for good business to you.”

 

“And good bargaining for your business,” the vendor replied courteously as they began moving to the vendor that had the hull tiles.

 

“Are we going back?” Seungchul asked, bringing up the rear.

 

“Yes,” Zhou Mi answered. “The enforced hospitality is a ruse that the Zhang use to investigate anyone suspected of rebellion. He is possibly a broker for another weapons run.”

 

“Hopefully dropping us back home first?” Alex asked quietly.

 

“Of course. Let us get those hull tiles and we will return to that vendor.”

 

Hyukjae sat through the required bartering for the hull tiles, and they were thankfully acquired without too much trouble, to be held back at the entrance of the upper market like all other large items. They walked back to the food area to get a snack while waiting for the rest of the standard to pass, all of them far more relaxed with the purchase of the last thing they needed while at the market. Their stores were full again, thanks to his mother, who really knew how to bargain for food, even on an alien planet, and they had a good supply of food cubes when the fresh food ran out. Hyukjae was feeling good about their chances of survival once more now that the probe was taken care of, and he would bring up trying to do far more frequent repairs just to prevent something like that happening in the future.

 

Donghae leaned against his back, the low growl vibrating off of him, and Hyukjae was glad he'd faced outwards again. “All right?” he asked.

 

“The one that bothered your sister... I know he is plotting something, but not against her directly.”

 

Hyukjae nodded, knowing that was as good as he could possibly get. “Okay. We'll just have to be ready.”

 

“We will be,” Donghae said with certainty.

 

In order to not draw attention to the vendor, they broke off in three groups with Hyukjae and Seungchul heading off with Sora, since Donghae had already communicated his impression of the man that kept sending Sora creepy looks. Once separated by a wall of people, they split up to wander the market. Donghae had taken Alex with him, while Zhou Mi would wander the market with Samuel.

 

Hyukjae stopped Sora several times, directing her to different vendors to look, as her role was that of someone of wealth and status and she at least needed to look as though she was shopping for a few things apart from Zhou Mi.

 

“Hyukjae are you needing something in particular?” Sora asked when Hyukjae directed her to yet another vendor. “Every single one that you've stopped me at has roughly the same things, including what looks a lot like sex toys. Are you two needing lube or something?”

 

Hyukjae froze, his eyes closing as the embarrassment washed through him and turned his ears and cheeks red as Seungchul couldn't contain the amused snort. “Noona,” he whined, suddenly reminded that Sora had an infinite capacity for blurting whatever was on her mind out and causing him no end of embarrassment.

 

“Honest question,” she shot back with a shrug. “Like you are far less subtle than what you think you are, so I was just wondering if there was a purpose to sending me to what looks like the same stuff.”

 

Seungchul's shoulders were shaking. “Oh God I should not be laughing, I should not be laughing, I should not be laughing,” he muttered, short laughs interspersed. “I bet that my noona is looking up into the sky and plotting how to embarrass me right this second because she knows I'm laughing.” He took a couple of deep breaths in. “Okay I'm good. Sorry.”

 

Hyukjae sighed. “Noona just go look, please.”

 

“I'll go with her so you can recover,” Seungchul said. “You're still red.”

 

“Oh I will be probably for the next _farn_ ,” Hyukjae muttered. He took the few minutes away from his sister to bury the embarrassment, closing his eyes and blowing out his breath. He could not believe Sora had just said that, but he really shouldn't have been surprised. As he'd told his family, he and Donghae didn't exactly sneak around and it was a pretty open secret that he and Donghae enjoyed their very active sex life. The embarrassment, he thought, probably came from the surprise of his sister asking him if he and Donghae needed lube. Which thankfully they'd purchased the first night at the lower market, and in enough quantity to not run out for a while.

 

Opening his eyes, he felt better and he did a quick scan of the area. He noticed Sora and Seungchul still at the vendor, several small groups milling about, and the vendors were still enthusiastically trying to encourage buyers to stop and browse their wares. He checked the time by the moons and figured that they'd need to start heading over to the vendor soon. On his next scan, he caught Seungchul's eyes and jerked his head slightly back to try and tell him that they needed to move on. They began moving back towards him and Hyukjae scanned the area again. Something was slightly off but he couldn't put his finger on it.

 

“Hey!” Sora yelled, the indignation of her voice making the fear spike within him, scared that someone was attempting to abduct her for a ransom demand.

 

He turned, and stepped to his left. He caught the kid fully against his body and quickly plucked the bag of hairpins and jewelry out of the young girl's hands, tossing it back to Sora, who was running as much as could be allowed in her dress. Keeping a steady, immobilizing arm around the girl's chest, Hyukjae estimated that she couldn't have been more than about eight or nine Earth years old, which probably made her about six or seven cycles. He caught the twist the child was doing and twisted with her, keeping his grip solid.

 

“Come on, noona,” he said, picking the child up and moving towards the vendor's tent, tilting her enough to keep his legs out of kicking range and a hand under her jaw to keep any screaming silent.

 

They were only stopped once by someone who had heard the commotion. “She is yours?” he was asked, a skeptical look at the kicking and thrashing child in his arms.

 

“My Lady's servant child that doesn't know their place in the world,” Hyukjae returned, sneering down as the slowly stilling child.

 

The vendor snorted and moved back, letting Hyukjae proceed.

 

It was only a row down where Hyukjae was supposed to meet the others, and the vendor squinted his eyes, the confusion only clearing when he saw Sora walking quickly behind him.

 

“Trouble?” Hyukjae was asked, a quick hand gesturing them into the tent.

 

“Unrelated to officials,” Hyukjae soothed as he slipped past. “Just a minor inconvenience of a child attempting to relieve my sister of her items.”

 

Everyone else had already arrived and Donghae smirked at him, obviously having heard Hyukjae's explanation even from where he was in the tent. “Give the child to me,” he said, standing.

 

Hyukjae gladly handed the kid over, relaxing his arms. She was definitely stronger than she looked or should be, given her probable level of nutrition, but Donghae would probably scare her enough to get some information. He immediately turned around and went to Sora, looking her over. “You're okay noona? She didn't nick you with anything did she?” he asked as he grabbed his sister's hands and looked them over.

 

“No, I'm fine,” Sora answered, obviously puzzled. “Why?” she asked him quietly.

 

“It's how some people get kidnapped, the kid yanks something out of your hand, scratching you with a mild poison that knocks you out right into the arms of the kidnappers,” he said, hopefully out of earshot of everyone but Donghae.

 

Sora's eyes went wide and she looked over her hands with him, both of them only relaxing a bit when they didn't see any new scratches. “I don't feel dizzy or anything,” Sora said.

 

“I want Song Qian to look you over when we're back on the ship, okay?”

 

Sora nodded, giving him a brief hug that made him smile.

 

“It seems as though you had a small adventure while we finalized business,” Zhou Mi commented, obviously amused.

 

Hyukjae shrugged, rolling his eyes. “Were you expecting anything else?”

 

Zhou Mi's shoulders shook once, indicating the deep amusement. “Of course not. What happened?”

 

“She tried to take the jewelry and hairpins,” Hyukjae said, gesturing at the child held against Donghae.

 

“Do you prefer to punish the child yourself for the insult, Lady Sora?” the vendor asked. Hyukjae grabbed Sora's hand in a brief warning, and he caught her look to Zhou Mi.

 

Zhou Mi stood. “We will take care of this matter in private. You understand, of course.”

 

The vendor bowed his head. “Of course. My thanks for agreeing to business.”

 

“Our appreciation to you for conducting business with me and my associates,” Zhou Mi politely returned. “We will take our leave of your appreciated hospitality.”

 

“It was my honor to provide.”

 

They slipped out of the backside of the tent to avoid detection, Donghae keeping a firm warning hand on the child's neck. Hyukjae found it fortunate that they were able to get aboard the cargo ship unaccosted, but he had two more trips before he could really relax. “I'm going to grab the sled and go get the tiles,” he told Zhou Mi lowly as they waited for the ramp to lower. “That way we can take off as soon as we figure out what to do with the kid.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “A wise course.”

 

Hyukjae unhooked the sled as soon as he could, and tapped Alex's arm, jerking his head back towards the marketplace. “Let's grab those hull tiles,” he told her.

 

She nodded and followed him down the ramp, her hand absently rubbing against her other arm.

 

“Hey you okay?” he asked. “You look like you've not been feeling well all day.”

 

Alex smiled a little. “I'll be fine,” she said.

 

“You're not getting sick are you? Is it bothering your athsma?” Maybe there was something that they could pick up, and the last thing they needed to do was to bring back an interstellar cold to turn into a pandemic...

 

“No, I feel physically fine. It's just in my head.”

 

“Oh. Do you have medication for that too? Because you saved our asses already and you might have to do it once more before we can get you back and-”

 

“No, it's fine. I'll be fine tomorrow,” Alex said, her smile a little more genuine.

 

“Okay,” Hyukjae said slowly. “I don't totally believe you, and if it's something I can help with I wish you'd tell me, but okay.”

 

Once they arrived at the large item claims and Alex handed in the ticket for their hull tiles, Hyukjae handed her half of the sensors. “Put them on the corners and edges, spacing them out so the sled can get the general shape,” he told her quietly, since a captain would fully know how the sled worked.

 

She was a little slower than he was with the sensors, but he had the experience and she finished it not long after what he did. He waited until everyone was clear of the space between the tiles and the sled before tilting the sled down with his foot to trigger the sensors. Once the sled was moving, he guided it to where the cargo ship was, glancing at Alex, who was rubbing her forehead again.

 

“Headache?” he asked neutrally.

 

Alex jerked a little, suddenly realizing what unconscious action she was doing. “Yeah a little bit of one,” she said.

 

“Why don't you put your hair down? You have it up so tight it can't be helping it.”

 

Alex snorted, an amused smile tilting her lips up. “Oh how little you know. This is actually loose compared to some of the ways that my hair has been yanked up, especially when I was a kid. I really am fine; I'm just feeling a little dysphoric today.”

 

Hyukjae stopped, tilting his head curiously. “Dysphoric? I don't know the meaning of that word. What is it?”

 

Alex blinked at him a couple of times. “Oh, it just means that I'm just not feeling comfortable in my own body. It happens every so often, but usually passes in a day or so. It's not contagious,” she joked. “I'm pretty sure you're comfortable being labeled as male.”

 

He caught her startled look and blush, as though she hadn't meant to say all of that. “So... we've been calling you wrong this entire time?” he asked, mildly horrified. He knew, just from news reports that that was a _bad_ thing and could have a worsening effect for any mental illnesses.

 

“No, no,” Alex said, the waving hands making him stop his train of thought. A great, heaving sigh followed. “Look, I'm going to trust you to not spread this around because enough of my bosses are still old dinosaurs that have enough issues with my race, but they'd fucking lose it if they found out that I was agender too.”

 

“Agender?” he asked, feeling like a parrot. “Sorry I'm sounding like I'm just repeating you, I've just never heard these words before.”

 

Alex's lips quirked. “Well it is understandable, I didn't even know that there was a word to explain that I didn't ever feel like I identified with or wanted a gender before about five years ago when I was doing unrelated research.”

 

“You don't feel like a gender? How does that work?”

 

“Seriously you live with Amber and don't have a problem with her not wanting sex but you can't see how I don't want a gender?”

 

“ _Oh_ ,” Hyukjae exclaimed, the confusion clearing nearly instantly. “Wait how did you know about that?”

 

Alex shrugged. “We chatted the other day... well, _farn_ I guess while you and Donghae were busy getting busy instead of sleeping.”

 

Hyukjae couldn't stop the grin, but he did try and tamp it down by biting his lower lip. “Okay so you've educated the boy that's been stuck in the Wilds. What should we be calling you then?”

 

“Just use the same stuff. I use gendered pronouns for work, and out here I'm still on the clock, to be honest. My name is unisex enough for me to feel comfortable with it. So everything you've been using is really fine.”

 

Hyukjae nodded, accepting the new information. “Okay, if you're really sure it's fine.”

 

“Yeah it really is. Like if you tell anyone though I'd have to kill you, of course,” she answered, lips twitching.

 

Hyukjae snorted and grinned. “Yeah good luck in getting through Donghae, but I know what it's like having to hide something from your bosses.”

 

Alex giggled a little, and he restarted the stalled sled to continue back to the cargo ship. “I'm glad you noticed all those little clues, though.”

 

Hyukjae looked over. “No one else noticed anything?”

 

She shrugged. “I've been deliberately a little more open with you. Because you _do_ know what it's like to be having to deny and suppress a part of yourself in order to keep your job.”

 

Hyukjae nodded and let the conversation trail off as they came nearer to the cargo ship. Samuel was standing guard, and his shoulder sagged in relief when he spotted them through the dim light.

 

“I was about to send Donghae to find you two.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged nonchalantly. “We were talking on the way back,” he brushed off. “Is he still scaring the hell out of the kid?”

 

“Yeah, which is why I'm out here watching for you. My family has me trained too well to soothe a crying kid automatically since I'm stuck with babysitting duty when I'm on leave.”

 

Hyukjae set the controller back onto the sled when he was sure that the sequence to get it loaded had started. “Which means noona is probably upset too,” he muttered. He looked around quickly as he stepped up into the ship, noticing the tenseness in everyone, including Song Qian and Zoe who had returned to the cargo ship as well. The young girl was still crying silent tears in Donghae's arms, but she wasn't attempting to struggle out of Donghae's admittedly loose grip, either.

 

“So what are we doing with the kid?” he asked.

 

“You have to help her,” Sora started, her eyes red from trying to hold back the tears. “ _Please_.”

 

Hyukjae sighed and looked at the girl. “What are you called?”

 

“Five One,” she answered, hiccupping a little.

 

“Was it the guy that was creeping noona out that sent her?” he asked Donghae, who nodded once. “Okay so what's the problem?”

 

“The owner keeps collateral to ensure a return without placing an identifying mark,” Song Qian said. “She has until the end of the night market to return with stolen goods to avoid having her sibling put to death.”

 

Hyukjae sat down in one of the pilot's chairs and folded his arms across his chest. “I take it that we can't just give up the goods we got?”

 

“No,” Zhou Mi replied. “They serve as identification for our next... business arrangement.”

 

“That's what I guessed. So what are we talking about here? Just that guy or is it a full crew?”

 

“Five One has informed us that there are at least thirty adults in this circle of thieving.”

 

Hyukjae dragged his hands down his face. _Thirty_ , he thought. That was far more than he had ever expected for an operation that he had guessed to be much smaller. “Okay give me all the numbers,” he said wearily. He didn't know if it was possible to even help this kid, but he had promised Sora that he would try.

 

“Twenty-five child slaves out thieving in both markets, with at least one collateral sibling per, and some have two,” Zhou Mi continued.

 

“ _Fuck_ so we're talking at least fifty to seventy-five kids, with thirty adults acting as guards and who would have no hesitation in killing all of the kids? And then somewhere around a standard to pull this off?” Hyukjae stuttered, disbelieving. “Do you have anything simpler you'd like me to solve instead like curing AIDS or coordinating world peace?”

 

“You failed biology,” Sora pointed out.

 

“No, I passed. Barely, and I did sleep with the grader, but I passed,” he shot back. “Like if we had about a _farn_ to plan this out... but we've got a standard.”

 

Seungchul snickered. “I don't know, that sounds like a hell of a lot of fun to me.”

 

“I'm in,” Samuel volunteered. “Yeah it's only like three hours, but they're expecting a bunch of scared kids. Not us.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded a bit. “That is a valid point. The surprise can offset lack of thorough plans.”

 

Hyukjae looked at Donghae, who was staring at him, the blue glow beginning to appear. “Okay, who are we taking?” he asked his lover, knowing from that look alone that Donghae was going to try and free the children, probably being reminded of his own days of being nothing more than a number.

 

“Twin, me, you, those two...” Donghae said, gesturing with his chin, and trailing off as he looked at Zhou Mi.

 

“I will go as well,” Zhou Mi said, nodding.

 

Song Qian nodded. “I will maintain watch and gather information with some of the minor favors I've garnered. If you will pilot us back to the ship, I will keep the child with me while you are otherwise occupied,” she said, holding out her arms to Donghae, the sleeves of her light orange dress sliding up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been waiting for like 5 chapters now to discuss that bit with Alex. anyways, as always reviews are appreciated.


	8. the space of rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> huge giant ass warnings for violence go here. I've kept the gore to a minimum, and this shouldn't be far over anything you could see in an action movie, but take care if you need to do so. also, school starts tomorrow (lol like in 12 hours more like) so there might be larger gaps in writing, or not, it all depends on the workload and how I wind up reacting to the stress.

“You're telling me that you are planning to mount a rescue operation in hostile territory with absolutely no plan and in under two hours?” Admiral Thorn bellowed.

 

“We have a plan,” Hyukjae said. “Kind of.”

 

“Surprise can be a greater success than plans that were discussed and thought of for long periods of time,” Zhou Mi said, grabbing one of the larger weapons, one that would be fully capable of blowing holes in the hull of a ship. They were highly illegal and restricted for that reason, but Hyukjae was glad that they'd been able to keep two back for themselves.

 

“You all have _never_ worked together as a unit like this. Do any of you even know what you're doing for each other?”

 

Seungchul shrugged as he loaded up on the meltpacks and a few things Hyukjae was sure the man could figure out how to explode. “We're working it out, and taking some educated guesses.”

 

“Sir,” Samuel interrupted before the next argument could come up. “We're aware that this is extremely dangerous, and both Park Seungchul and I _volunteered_ for this mission. We understand that you're our commander and have to consider our safety first, but we cannot in good conscience leave approximately one hundred minor children in slavery where they are likely abused and under constant threat of death for them and their siblings.” He shrugged a massive shoulder. “You can court martial me when we get home, but I personally cannot let this continue.”

 

The admiral sighed deeply. Hyukjae guessed that was the entire point behind the bluster – that two people under his command were going off on their own, possibly to their death, and there were no plans other than surviving and with four virtual unknowns. “You would get on a high horse with me Latu,” the admiral grumbled.

 

“Always, sir.”

 

“Are they going to have those shields for themselves?” he asked, directing his question to Hyukjae.

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “They could, but it's doubtful that they'd be using them outside of the guards for the kids.”

 

“I'd personally feel better if you were taking a gun. Just in case,” Hyukjae's father muttered.

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “Up to the others if they want to hand over the guns or not. We should be fine with what we have. Like Zhou Mi said, we've got a massive amount of surprise on our side, and the glowknives will get through any personal shielding.”

 

“That gets a little messy,” Zoe said, her arms folded across her chest.

 

“But quiet and efficient,” Seungchul returned. “We'll be back.”

 

With all of their gear loaded up, they moved to the attackers, where they split up into two groups, Hyukjae leaving _Pioneer_ and grabbing the second full attacker. “Any questions before I start flying?” he asked as he warmed up the engines and flipped the stealthing generator on.

 

“Are all prison ships set up the same?” Seungchul asked.

 

“Mostly, yes. Our ship is a good template for how they are arranged. The prison levels and large cargo hold are the most interior spaces. They will be using the ramp, so we will appear next to the smaller cargo holds,” Zhou Mi explained.

 

“Three flights down from the flight deck, right?”

 

“Yes. Five One said that their ship is possibly only one model older than ours, so it is near identical. The communications area is placed next to the flight deck, instead of on the same level as crew cabins as it is on our ship.”

 

“Also getting into the prison level is going to be the most difficult part,” Hyukjae added, waiting for the indicator beacon to show that Donghae was moving his attacker out of the hangar. “We permanently opened our prison level, but they'll have theirs working.”

 

“How thick is the door?” Seungchul asked, his voice quietly confident.

 

Zhou Mi patted the large weapon lying across his lap. “Not enough to withstand one shot from this.”

 

“Noisy, though.”

 

“As is your preferred method,” Zhou Mi returned, and Hyukjae knew the man was smiling.

 

“So we try and make them open it for us.”

 

Hyukjae smiled and lifted the attacker off the floor, boosting it out of the hangar. His entire attention was absorbed in flying as they made the short journey towards one of the northern, remote regions.

 

“I have located the ship,” Donghae said. “Not even trying to hide,” he added, baring his teeth over the small holographic display.

 

“We'll make them suffer for that arrogance,” Hyukjae soothed. “Have you found a good landing area?” Adjusting his course, he rapidly flew to Donghae's location, as they had split up to find the ship they were looking for.

 

“Yes. Slightly less than a _li_ from the ship. Follow the beacon to us, and approach from the north.”

 

“Confirmed,” Hyukjae replied. He was landing within a couple of minutes and he placed the engines on standby.

 

“How far is a _li_?” Seungchul asked.

 

“It's a little less than a kilometer, so we'll be fine, even moving fast,” Hyukjae answered as he flipped the safety off his weapon and warmed up the glow knife. “Got your communicator?”

 

Seungchul tapped the small device hooked onto the collar of his t-shirt.

 

“Perfect, tap the earbud once,” Hyukjae said, tapping his own to begin transmissions. “Song Qian?”

 

“Listening,” she replied into his ear. “I am pulling up your locators and will monitor your positions.”

 

“Thank you,” he replied. “Donghae?”

 

“We are located near the line of trees to your left,” Donghae said, his voice soft in the earpiece.

 

Jogging to catch up, they were all together within a minute.

 

“Twin will lead,” Donghae said, pointing at Amber.

 

“Perfect, you guys go ahead, I've got the rear,” Seungchul said with a wave of his hand.

 

Donghae frowned briefly. “I will do that.”

 

Seungchul shook his head. “I know you have the senses, but I have the explosives. I make sure that no one will follow us. I do this all the time, trust me to do my job.”

 

Donghae tilted his head after a moment, his eyes glowing in the dark. “Very well. I will travel just ahead of you to inform of any dangers.”

 

“Thank you,” Seungchul said.

 

Amber easily navigated a trail for them to follow, and Hyukjae felt like he was making the most amount of noise of anyone, all of whom had been trained to move silently. The time passed quickly through the trees, and they hovered at the edge of the treeline. The ship had been parked near the edge of an inland sea, and Hyukjae's mouth pulled down, knowing that the landing had been done on purpose to further scare all of the kids into obedience, as the sea could be used as a dumping ground for bodies.

 

“Two guards roaming, two at the ramp,” Amber said, her voice barely heard. “Twin.”

 

Hyukjae put a settling hand on Seungchul's shoulder to keep him there as Donghae melted off into the darkness, and he saw Zhou Mi doing the same to Samuel. They all waited there, waiting for any sign to move ahead, which finally came after about ten Earth minutes.

 

“They do have personal protective shields, but they did not have them turned on,” Donghae said. “You may approach the ship openly. We waited for their check, so there will be some time before the next check raises an alarm.”

 

“Do they have anything that could pick up body heat?” Samuel asked.

 

“No, that requires engine power. Their ship is currently shut down and they are not expecting difficulties,” Amber replied.

 

“We are approaching,” Zhou Mi said into the earpieces, leading their smaller group to where Donghae and Amber waited near the ramp, the guards dead at their feet, and they all stepped quietly into the ship and immediately into the open cargo area to plan their next moves.

 

“Two groups?” Samuel offered up. “Both of us split up and neutralize everyone in the rest of the ship then meet back up to prepare to assault the prison level?”

 

“That sounds reasonable,” Zhou Mi agreed. “I will take Amber and Park Seungchul with me into the crew level and we will work our way to the engines.”

 

“Is that a good idea to keep all of the mass weaponry in one group?” Seungchul asked.

 

“The others are going to the flight deck and communication area. They need to kill on an individual basis and potentially gather information,” Amber said.

 

“So every adult aside from us is dying?” Samuel asked, his voice neutral.

 

“Yes,” Hyukjae answered easily. “These people are slavers, and will have no hesitation in killing us and the kids we're supposed to be rescuing. Also, we would literally have nowhere to keep them as prisoner, and no authority to hand them over to. Slavery is legal out here, and we'd be laughed out of any administrative office even if we could just walk into one. Just because we find it morally wrong doesn't mean everyone else does.”

 

Samuel shrugged a massive shoulder. “Fair enough, and thanks for not lying to me about that.”

 

“No point in lying, you'd figure it out fast enough,” Hyukjae returned. “Everyone come back in one piece, I'd hate to track your ass down in whatever afterlife you believe in just to kick it,” he said as they split up at the cargo door. Moving through the halls would be more dangerous than crawling through access areas, but it was also faster and they had minimized the danger as much as possible.

 

“Same goes for you,” Seungchul replied, his voice amused.

 

Letting Donghae lead, Hyukjae followed him while Samuel brought up the rear of their little group. They only moved into the access area next to the lifts to move up the levels to where the flight deck was. Donghae paused them before they moved out, his head in the characteristic listening pose.

 

“You have three moving down,” Donghae warned over the earpieces. “They are unsuspecting.”

 

“Confirmed,” Zhou Mi answered. “Four are already dead.”

 

Hyukjae caught Samuel's surprised look when he looked down the ladder. “Confirmed,” he said. Donghae scrambled out of the access area and Hyukjae quickly followed. Samuel was the last out, but the large man moved so silently that Hyukjae had to turn and look to make sure that nothing had happened.

 

The communications area was right where they expected it to be, but what was unexpected was that only one man was in there. Hyukjae had personally expected at least three, and he and Donghae shared a brief look of confusion and worry. It was highly unusual for a lean band of thieves and slavers to understaff the communications area, as they were usually scanning for additional auctions to replace those that had died, run away, or were unable to continue their “duties” due to a variety of conditions. But there was only one there.

 

Tapping his earbud, Hyukjae pressed against the wall, checking the immediate area. “Zhou Mi,” he whispered.

 

A quiet grunt answered him.

 

“There's only one in the communications area. I don't think this is your standard group of slavers and thieves.”

 

“Agreed,” Zhou Mi replied. “There are many signs pointing to this being a military and administrative side project.”

 

Hyukjae felt the news settle low in his stomach, his lip curling into a snarl and the anger exploding in his blood. Those who already had more than enough were looking to line their pockets with even more at the expense of children who were most likely sold into slavery to feed their families; while he shouldn't have been surprised at this possibility, he was still upset. He pulled the glow knife out and tapped Donghae's shoulder with his free hand.

 

Donghae's eyes flickered up to his, understanding held within the solid bright blue color. Donghae reached over, tapping Samuel's arm and nodding towards the flight deck. The insinuation was clear – Hyukjae would take care of the communications area and they would begin to check out the positions of those on the flight deck. He took a deep breath in through his nose and let it out slowly.

 

He slipped into the communications room, the quiet murmur of open communicators filling the space of silence. Letting his mind go blank, he concentrated on only the job he had to do – clear the communications area. He didn't let himself overthink anything, and as he dragged the warm, dead body to a more concealed area, he quietly closed all of the open communications, knowing that the ones at the market wouldn't find out until they tried to speak directly to someone. There was also another reason Donghae trusted him so much with communications areas, and it was Hyukjae's ability to remember large chunks of visual information very quickly, an ability he discovered after he woke up from being rescued from being tortured.

 

Glancing over the open screens, he memorized what he could, and he turned to leave. Turning his head, he stared at the one screen that caught his attention. Scanning the information, he quietly sighed. He wouldn't interrupt again, but this was definitely something that Zhou Mi needed to see. Catching back up to Donghae and Samuel, he squatted down next to them.

 

“News?” Donghae asked quietly.

 

Hyukjae nodded. “It's still up on the screens. How many inside?”

 

“I spotted six, which Donghae confirmed. How are you wanting to take this?” Samuel reported.

 

“Two in the pilot chairs and one in the weapons chair?” Hyukjae asked, wanting to either be able to peek around the corner or have telepathic powers to get an idea.

 

Samuel closed his eyes for a second, his hand moving around in the air before nodding.

 

“Okay. The other three are where?”

 

“When I looked, they were grouped together kind of near the hologram thing.”

 

Donghae's eyes closed slightly, the glow intensifying. “They have moved... and are alert.”

 

“For us?” Hyukjae asked, ready to get the hell out and wait for reinforcements.

 

“No, they are unaware that we are here, they might be expecting an attack later,” Donghae said. “We must move quickly to keep the element of surprise.”

 

Samuel pulled out the standard weapon both he and Donghae had. “I'll cover you both as you head in, hopefully they'll be dumb and not have those shield things on yet.”

 

“Aim for the pilot on the right side first, the right side as we're looking at them now from the doorway,” Hyukjae said, clarifying himself quickly. “They're the one nearest to an alarm, but try not to hit the panel, we're going to need it if we're going to commandeer the ship.”

 

“Got it,” Samuel said, edging closer to the open doorway.

 

Hyukjae looked over at Donghae before they moved in, and they shared a brief look to try and express their love and concern for the other's safety. Knowing it would be the best that they would get, they ducked into the room. They were spotted almost immediately, but Donghae's thrown glow knife stopped any sound aside from the one of a body dropping to the ground. Hyukjae rushed forward, throwing a punch to daze one man and headbutting the man beside him. He heard the sounds of the laser weapon, but it was away from him, so he hoped it was Samuel.

 

His glow knife was more than sufficient for killing, and as soon as the two he was wrestling with were dead on the ground (or they would be soon, given the amount of blood) he glanced up to assess the situation. He winced at the distinct sound of a gunshot and he looked over just in time to see the second pilot slump over, falling to the floor, and Donghae was grappling with the man who was in the weaponry chair on the ground. Rushing over as he saw Donghae get flipped over, the anger and fear for Donghae had him giving the other man's neck a brutal twist, and then he looked around for any further threats, only relaxing when he saw there were none.

 

Donghae tapped his earbud. “Flight deck and communications area cleared, seven dead,” he reported, standing up and immediately leaning against Hyukjae's body.

 

Hyukjae took a couple of deep breaths and hugged Donghae tightly, taking a moment selfishly for themselves.

 

“We are moving to the prison level,” Amber said. “There are sixteen dead total, so there will be four guarding the children. How much time do we have before the other ten reappear?” she asked.

 

Hyukjae pulled up the current solar time and an image of the outside. “Not much,” he honestly answered. “We'll come down to help. All communications are broken at the moment between the ship and the ones at market. Zhou Mi, this is a little bigger than just a side project. The information is still pulled up in the communications area.”

 

“Confirmed,” Zhou Mi replied. “We will wait for you at the prison level.”

 

“They're going to be wearing the personal shield things, right?” Seungchul asked.

 

“Yeah,” Samuel answered. “I had to switch over to my gun up here because one of them had time to slap theirs on.”

 

No longer concerned with stealth, they ran to the lift and moved down the levels, meeting up with the others one deck down from the prison level. “How are we going to do this? Four of them and six of us sounds like good odds, but that's usually when shit goes wrong,” Samuel started.

 

“Will they open fire on the kids if they hear gunshots?” Seungchul asked the group, his fingers tapping against his gun.

 

“It is likely that they will not know of the sounds,” Zhou Mi replied. “It is theoretical that they will move towards the sounds to investigate, since they will have the door open by this time in preparation for the return of the others.”

 

“Investigation is a higher chance since they are unaware that we are here for the children,” Amber said. “They could be thinking that it is merely a piracy attempt.”

 

“That sounds good,” Hyukjae said. “In fact, that actually sounds like something we could use for an ambush for the ten that are coming back from the market. They're going to be herding the kids back towards the prison level, but they're going to have to use the larger lift in the main hold in order to fit everyone. We catch them right there in the cargo area and use that plan to get these four. Donghae and I will go with these two,” he explained, gesturing at Samuel and Seungchul. “Amber, could you get back to our ship and get the rest of the guns? There's ten guards, we have five guns total, and if all of us have guns and get off two shots each, they're all dead quickly. It's possible that you can get off the second round before the first body has even hit the floor if they're close enough together. It's maximum damage with minimal risk.”

 

Zhou Mi was nodding along. “A sound plan. Amber, Donghae?”

 

“Agreed,” the twins chorused.

 

“Song Qian?” Zhou Mi said, tapping his earbud to transmit again. “You were listening?”

 

“Yes,” she replied in their ears. “Our guests also heard and have gone to retrieve their weapons. They will be waiting at the hangar for Amber.”

 

“I will find appropriate spots in the cargo hold to be used for ambush and monitor for the arrival of the others,” Zhou Mi said. “Do be careful, the odds are not in our favor yet,” he warned before jogging off in the same direction Amber had already taken off towards.

 

“Let's do this. How are we getting up?” Seungchul asked.

 

“The lift is the most direct way,” Hyukjae said. “It offers some coverage, too.”

 

They opened the lift, Hyukjae and Donghae keeping the doors open for Samuel and Seungchul to find comfortable firing positions and to make sure that their aim would not interfere with the other's. They headed up one level and Hyukjae pressed against one side of the lift as the doors started to open while Donghae pressed against the other. Samuel and Seungchul were kneeling on the floor of the lift with their guns at the ready.

 

As the doors cleared, the two special forces soldiers immediately found their targets and opened fire before the two expected guards had time to do more than reach for their weapons. Hyukjae held the lift door open, trying to minimize the details of his body. “Come on come on,” he muttered as they waited for the last two on the ship to appear.

 

There was a brief exchange of fire with the last one, but Samuel lined up a perfect shot and silence floated over them, broken only by the sound of a quickly covered whimper.

 

“You know the way to the cargo hold?” Donghae asked Samuel and Seungchul.

 

“Yeah, why?” Seungchul replied.

 

“Go find an appropriate ambush location. Hyukjae and I will count the number of children and return to you.”

 

They slipped out of the lift, keeping their hands on their weapons, even after they swiped two of the personal shielding generators off the bodies. Hyukjae counted the number of cells being used, not surprised when he counted twenty-five. He had counted on this method to be used, and he started counting the number in each cell.

 

“Sixty,” he told Donghae. “Eighty-five total.”

 

Donghae nodded. “Agreed.”

 

The only good thing about all of the kids having been either born or sold into slavery, Hyukjae mused, meant that they stayed silent and still while they were counted and none of them attempted to talk to either he or Donghae as they left the prison area, shutting the heavy door behind them. He noticed that they all shied away from Donghae a little more than him, but put it out of his mind. He'd think about the implications later. Moving back up the cargo hold, they found the others on the upper walkway that their ship did not have, including the surprise of Amber, who had already returned. She pressed a gun into both his and Donghae's hand, and Hyukjae frowned briefly.

 

“Amber?” he asked, uncertainly.

 

“I will be in a patrol until the others return from market...” she started, only to fall silent, her head jerking around at the same time as Donghae's. “They have arrived,” she whispered. “I will close the door behind them.”

 

Hyukjae nodded, knowing that there was nothing he could say to dissuade Amber. They needed the door closed, and she knew her own weaknesses with loud noises too close to her ears. Donghae pressed his forehead against Amber's before she scrambled down the stairway and melted into the shadows. Hyukjae took deep, slow breaths to settle his nerves. They were almost done and, as Samuel had pointed out, fuck ups tended to happen around that point because people became complacent.

 

“Hold it like we are,” he told Donghae and Zhou Mi, who were holding the guns like their laser weapons. He twisted his hands around to show his non-dominant hand curled around the base of the gun and supporting his wrist. “The sights are the same, but our normal weapons don't have the recoil that guns do,” he explained, jerking the gun up as an example.

 

Both of them rapidly followed his instructions and they waited for the last part of their plan to fall into place. It was hard waiting for everyone to file in and for Amber to trigger the door controls, but when it finally happened the adrenaline made everything happen almost in slow motion, just as it had on the flight deck. Eight dropped quickly, but their total lack of planning about who would shoot who came up to bite them in the ass when two were still alive and shooting back. Samuel ducked down and got the furthest one while Seungchul rose up to aim at the other and Hyukjae felt his heart stop when the railing nearly exploded with sparks and Seungchul dropped to the walkway as the last gunshot brought silence to the room.

 

“Holy shit,” Seungchul gasped, his hands rapidly patting his chest and stomach. “Oh thank _fuck_ he was a bad shot,” he continued, his voice higher than normal.

 

“Are you hit?” Samuel barked.

 

“No. Scared the shit out of me, but I'm fine. I'm going to just lay here for a few minutes though, because that was a little too close for comfort.”

 

“We're going to get the kids all onto the same level until we can figure out what to do with them,” Hyukjae said, standing, his gun still at the ready. The children were huddling together, nervously shuffling away from Amber and her glowing eyes.

 

“I will go with twin,” Donghae said. “Go survey the information that needs immediate attention.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded his head once. “Of course.”

 

Splitting up, Hyukjae took Zhou Mi back to the communications area to look over the one screen that had caught his attention earlier. The sudden stillness had him instinctively taking a half step back, knowing just how dangerous Zhou Mi could really be.

 

“How _dare_ he,” he hissed, the sneer pulling up the corner of his lip.

 

“It looks like all of the kids are about halfway done with the treatment,” Hyukjae offered quietly, looking over the schedule of genetic modifications.

 

“That would explain the docile reaction of the children to Donghae and Amber,” Zhou Mi replied, the anger banking to the point Hyukjae felt comfortable again. “It looks much the same as I remember their treatment schedule being, but it looks like it takes effect far more quickly.”

 

“How?” Hyukjae replied, his voice still soft. “You destroyed everything relating to the research and experimentation on the twins, but it was recreated and made better and faster.”

 

Zhou Mi sighed. “I destroyed what I could _find_ , but it is possible that my patriarch had copies that I could not locate, and looking at this information, that seems to be the case.”

 

“But why on all of these kids? Is this supposed to be a massive test group? What are they doing with this?”

 

Zhou Mi shrugged, tapping through a few screens. “There is no information about that, but I can make a few guesses based on the environment I was raised in. What better way to have a permanent indication of slavery or, if they begin spreading it further, of humble origins that travels through generations?” he pointed out, his voice tired. “Keep the elite static, a thought that my patriarch was very fond of. That way the elite could dismiss anyone else, regardless of merit. Rising through the military would be the only way to gain any form of recognition and even the concubine status would be limited to those without the modifications, narrowing any potential _contamination_ from the lower classes,” he finished, a sneer pulling at his lip again, the disgust Zhou Mi held for his kin very clear.

 

Hyukjae sighed. “That's disgusting and characteristic.”

 

“Which is why you fit well with the rest of us,” Zhou Mi teased.

 

Hyukjae twitched his lips. “Earthling, remember? But if this is from your patriarch, would he have kept in the same command line of obedience to the direct line of the Zhou that Donghae and Amber have?”

 

Zhou Mi breathed out. “Of course he would. Even if the Emperor ordered it removed, that command line is buried so far into the genetics that it would be almost undetectable.”

 

“So he basically would have an immediately loyal army at his disposal. If he had enough of them in the correct locations, like around the Emperor and around the heads of some of the other powerful families, with a simple command, he could be Emperor within a day,” Hyukjae said, suddenly struck with the implications.

 

“For someone who protests that they have no mind for political machinations, you seem to gather the political import quickly,” Zhou Mi tossed off as quick praise, and Hyukjae basked in it.

 

“This is big enough to be noticed,” Hyukjae demurred. “Especially if, as you said, the powerful families are looking to set themselves up for a new Mandate, including your patriarch.”

 

“Yes, and it is very unlikely that anyone knows of that command line or the dangers it could present.” He tapped the earbud. “Song Qian.”

 

“Listening,” she replied immediately.

 

“The mission has been a success, but we need to bring this ship with us without attracting the attention of the space coordinator.”

 

“Polar exit,” Amber broke in. “All of the children are now secured in the prison level as well.”

 

“Agreed,” Song Qian replied. “A polar exit with Qinyan's strong magnetic field would be the best option for evading detection. Does the ship have stealthing?”

 

“It should,” Hyukjae, Donghae, and Amber all chorused.

 

“ _Should_ does not mean _does_ ,” Song Qian pointed out. “Please confirm stealthing capabilities before any further plans are made.”

 

“I'm checking,” Hyukjae said, drawing his weapon. The upside to having marathoned the entire _Alien_ series before he left was that he never assumed someone was actually dead and it instilled a healthy sense of paranoia within him. Walking back into the flight deck, he shot every single body in the head as insurance, even though they were all obviously dead.

 

Kicking one of the _former_ pilots to the ground, he tapped a quick startup sequence for the display panels. “Stealthing confirmed,” he reported into the earbud. “I'm beginning a power on sequence since I'm guessing we want to get out of here quickly. Who is flying with me?”

 

“I am,” Donghae immediately said. “Twin will travel back to our ship. Zhou Mi, please stay here, I believe that the weaponry on this ship actually works.”

 

“Agreed,” Zhou Mi replied.

 

“Where are you wanting us?” Seungchul asked over the earbud.

 

“Stay here, but come up to the flight deck,” Zhou Mi said. “We will take our leave as soon as both ships are fully powered up. Song Qian, Amber meet up with this ship here and we will exit together to combine stealth.”

 

“Confirmed,” Amber and Song Qian replied.

 

“That's a little risky,” Hyukjae said as he saw Zhou Mi come into the deck.

 

“Yes, but the twins are well capable of the maneuvers to fly the separate ships together. Once we arrive at an appropriate jump point, we will lock the ships together and discuss what to do with the children.”

 

“Are we headed back towards Earth?” he asked.

 

“I believe that it would be best to not place your people in further danger,” Zhou Mi said. “We have neutralized the probe that was tracking us, so your planet is safe from discovery, and it would be best if we returned them.”

 

“Returns are for store credit only,” Samuel replied as he walked in ahead of Seungchul, making Hyukjae snort with the sudden laughter.

 

Zhou Mi looked at Hyukjae oddly. “One of your Earth jokes?” he asked.

 

Hyukjae nodded and continued the power on sequence, knowing that Donghae would be close. The steady hiss indicated that the life support had turned back on, and Hyukjae glanced at the readouts. The prison level was set to a mere seventy percent of full air pressure, and Hyukjae bumped it up to full, knowing that it was a tactic to keep the kids from attempting to fight back since they were deprived of air and would pass out far easier.

 

Donghae slipped into the second chair, the engines beginning their power on sequence under his skilled hands. Once every readout indicated that the outer access ports were closed to seal the ship, Hyukjae pulled the ramp up and locked it back into place to create full seal, and he didn't take his eyes off the displays until his ears had popped, indicating that the pressurization had actually taken place.

 

“Engines on standby,” Donghae said, and Hyukjae looked over the readings.

 

“Confirmed,” he replied, catching Donghae's slightly hungry and on edge look out of the corner of his eyes. “Now if you'll excuse us, I'm going to make out with my boyfriend while we're waiting,” he said to the room at large, giving Samuel and Seungchul some warning. Zhou Mi was already well used to their habits, but the others from Earth definitely were not.

 

Donghae nearly launched himself at Hyukjae, wrapping sturdy legs around Hyukjae and the chair, and Hyukjae grinned at the low growl when Donghae yanked his face up to kiss him briefly before pressing their foreheads together.

 

“We made it through another one,” he said quietly and assuring, hugging Donghae's waist.

 

Donghae grunted softly at him, kissing him. They both relaxed slightly, winding down from the adrenaline rush of doing a mission and nearly having something go completely wrong. Hyukjae grumbled a bit when the console beeped several times, and he tapped on the notification to align the communication channels.

 

“Yes Amber?” he said with very little pretense.

 

“We have arrived, and as soon as whoever is sitting in the other's lap is back in their own chair, we may leave,” she replied, obviously amused and correctly predicting what they were doing.

 

Hyukjae patted Donghae's butt as he stood up, and his attention was briefly snagged by the slight press of Donghae's dick against the seam of his pants as Donghae stood to go back to the other pilot's chair.

 

Donghae drifted his fingers under Hyukjae's chin for another short kiss that promised a great deal when they had a few moments to themselves. Donghae sat back down in his chair and the ship rumbled slightly as the engines began to lift them off Qinyan's surface, Hyukjae flipping the stealthing on. “We're almost off the ground, we'll follow behind you to displace the signal.”

 

“Confirmed,” Amber replied. Hyukjae stayed quiet while Donghae lifted them off the surface, seeing Seungchul and Samuel moving the dead bodies out of the way. Once they were free of the atmosphere and out of range of the defensive stations, both ships dropped stealthing as they sat above Qinyan's northern pole and just above the orbital plane. Hyukjae relaxed back into his seat and input the coordinates for the empty jump point they had used to run to Qinyan.

 

“We'll see you there,” he said into the communicator as their ship's engines glowed brightly before disappearing. Hyukjae increased the engine's power as Donghae corrected their alignment just slightly and then they were likewise jumping out of Qinyan's system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated.


	9. the space of decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy, don't think that there's anything to really be warned about so far (but then again it's like almost 4 am...). oh right, there's some smutty bits!

“Eighty-five,” Sora said, finishing her count of the children. She weaved her way back through the crowd of children, all of them quietly eating the food cubes that they had been provided. Five One had been reunited with her brother, and Hyukjae saw them huddled together as they ate. He felt happy and at peace since they'd been able to rescue all of the children and reunite a partial family together. Donghae was beside him and was only lightly pressing his knee against Hyukjae's, but to Hyukjae, Donghae might as well have been sitting in his lap for the level of being connected he felt.

 

The older pairs of siblings were watching them with suspicion and had only eaten when Donghae and Amber had, but their eyes darted between Song Qian and Zoe Vasconcelos as they performed quick physical checks on everyone, leaving the older children for last so they could see the non-threatening process.

 

Zhou Mi waited for the hungry eating to slow down before asking if any of the children had been kidnapped from families that would want them back. Hyukjae sighed when not one child raised their hands. Since they'd been running almost exclusively, he hadn't realized how badly things had been getting when it came to families being able to afford basic things, including being able to keep their own children and feeding them.

 

“How many of you were sold?” Hyukjae asked.

 

The number of raised hands far outnumbered those that weren't, and Hyukjae heard the low swears from the rest of the people from Earth.

 

“At this point, I'm tempted to say fuck going back to Earth and just starting a revolution myself,” Samuel finally said, the dark glower almost surprising for Hyukjae to see.

 

“This is a startling number, even for us,” Song Qian said, her voice soothing as she stroked the hair of a young girl who had clung to her at Samuel's raised voice. She sighed as she looked around. “What are we going to do with all of you...”

 

“We're not getting sold?” one of the eldest looking boys asked, his confusion evident.

 

“No,” the adults chorused with differing levels of indignation.

 

“But that does leave us in the difficult situation of where to place the children so that they are not potentially sold right back into slavery,” Amber said, her golden eyes calm.

 

“The brothels,” Song Qian said, nodding as she answered her own question.

 

Hyukjae nodded as well. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan. It'd be a huge safety net for them.”

 

“Wait, wait, wait, you're talking about sending a bunch of _kids_ into prostitution,” the admiral barked. “How is that better?”

 

“Because you're thinking of the brothels in Las Vegas,” Hyukjae jumped in before anyone else could speak up. “The brothels out here teach literacy, medical knowledge, and yes even entertainment arts for the majority of people who go into them. But there's also the managers, the cooks, the cleaners, the advertisers, protection services, all of the support staff who make things run. While the time givers and entertainers could fit neatly into any brothel in Vegas, they don't _have_ to.”

 

“The children, much like myself, will be able to live freely, unbound to anyone. I have enough contacts and favors that the children will be accepted with little question.”

 

“Even with the genetic modifications?” Zoe asked.

 

“Yes. Many are still in the beginning stages, and more are less than halfway through, it will not affect them in overly detrimental ways,” Song Qian said.

 

“I am not going,” one of the kids growled.

 

“That will be determined at an appropriate point,” Zhou Mi said from behind his mask. “We will let you eat and talk among yourselves while we discuss other matters above,” he continued, motioning for the adults to follow him up to the catwalk. “Having the children, especially those with the genetic modifications, with us does necessitate a change in plans,” he said as soon as they were gathered on the catwalk.

 

Admiral Thorn nodded. “Dropping them off somewhere before taking us home?” he asked.

 

Zhou Mi nodded his head once. “Your planet needs the protection of being undiscovered. We will need to perform this business transaction first, as there is a time frame for the delivery. After it is complete, we will place the children with trustworthy brothels and then return you to your planet.”

 

“What exactly are you doing for this _business transaction_?” Deokbon asked.

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “I wasn't there for that bit of the conversation, I was keeping noona from being robbed.”

 

“It's a weapons run,” Alex supplied, her voice neutral. “I'm guessing that he represented a disaffected group, either planning a rebellion, part of a larger planned group, or they are preparing for when a revolt happens. With what I've been able to gather of the current political situation, it seems a prudent course of action.”

 

“My impression is that they have planned something far smaller than full revolt against the Empire,” Amber continued. “But Alex Nelson is correct in the interpretation of motives.”

 

“And this is highly illegal, isn't it?” his father asked.

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “Pretty much, but it's a job.”

 

“A minor one with the potential for more,” Donghae corrected.

 

“Oh, is it that setup again?” he asked.

 

“What setup?” the admiral asked quietly, scanning his eyes over the assembled children once more.

 

“They have us do two or three minor runs to prove that we're trustworthy, and _then_ they give us the big run that they actually want us to do,” Hyukjae explained, folding his arms and resting lightly against the railing.

 

“I thought you were dropping us off?” Samuel asked quietly.

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “The flight or fight response isn't the best mindset to be making firm plans in. Plus, we didn't know shit about the kids or how much they'd actually been modified. I thought we'd be able to drop them off anywhere and they'd be kind of okay, and I didn't know that we were under a time limit.”

 

“This is going to take how long, and approximate the amount of risk for me, will you since we're making all of this up on the fly?” the admiral grumbled.

 

“Probably two weeks maximum additional time, and relatively low risk for the smaller runs, but it increases dramatically with the bigger one,” Hyukjae noticed the frequent looks down at the children. “Why do you keep looking down?”

 

“Some of them are looking up here like they can hear us or something,” the admiral replied, glancing down again and then shaking his head. “Holdover from my active duty days,” he finally said, his voice quieter. Hyukjae pressed his lips together and nodded, knowing there was nothing he could really say to stop a learned by force habit.

 

“I believe that you are correct in that assumption that some of them can hear us. The schedules Hyukjae found were for only a fraction of the children, and those looked like foundation treatments. Some of them are further along with the actual modification treatments,” Song Qian said. “That will provide... resistance against placing some of them in the brothels and will cause complications with their own medical treatment.”

 

“That is something that we will find a solution to when it is needed,” Zhou Mi said.

 

“So why are you wanting to bring all of us along on this?” Sora asked, a hand rubbing up and down her arm. Hyukjae knew the nervous gesture and wished he could reassure her that things would wind up being okay.

 

“Because we don't want anyone finding Earth,” Hyukjae said. “The ships are locked together, so where one goes, the other will remember too, and we don't want to risk any of the kids seeing the jumps that we're taking. We can blow up one of the ships, but we're all a little reluctant to toss the children out of an airlock or do worse, like leaving them on Earth.”

 

“Your system needs to be protected at all costs,” Amber added. “Performing these runs will let us protect it further by adding time to the jump locations leading back to it.”

 

“Oh,” Deokbon breathed, the understanding flickering across her face. “So there's a trace of something that's left when you... jump out of somewhere?” She asked, gesturing with her hands.

 

Amber nodded. “The additional time will ensure that no Zhang ship will find your planet.”

 

“I hate to address the elephant in the room, but what makes you certain that the Zhang _haven't_ found Earth?” Alex asked, her head tilted curiously.

 

“There has been no announcement. The discovery of an inhabited planet to bring into the Empire would be a celebratory event, particularly for the family that discovered it. The coup of discovering a planet the size and population of yours would further undermine the current Emperor and elevate another to show that the Mandate had left for another,” Zhou Mi said.

 

“So any new planet would just be something to be bragged about?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What about if someone just wanted to keep it as a personal resource?” Alex asked.

 

“Then we will discover that when we return you to your planet.”

 

“Let's not borrow trouble,” Samuel finally muttered.

 

The admiral nodded. “Doing these jobs, then returning home sounds like a workable plan. What about you two?” he asked, glancing at Hyukjae's parents. “I can order these guys, but you two I have to ask.”

 

“We've been gone this long, what's a little more time?” Hyukjae's father replied with a shrug. “I'm sure we can all find plausible explanations about why we've been gone for a while that doesn't involve alien abductions,” he finished, a familiar twitch to his lips.

 

“Please do,” the admiral returned, a smile stretching his lips.

 

“So what's the plan for now?” Samuel asked.

 

“We will keep the ships locked together as just one ship would not have enough room or power for everyone aboard. It will take us several jumps to get to our arrival location, so at each jump location, Song Qian will be able to contact the brothel owners for the children and receive answers,” Donghae said, snuggling into Hyukjae as he looked down at the children. Hyukjae could already see that Donghae's eyes were solidly blue, and he offered what comfort he could for the moment.

 

“You already have the route planned?” Song Qian asked.

 

“Yes,” Donghae replied.

 

“Very well, I will look over our power situation and begin my inquiries before we leave. Zoe Vasconcelos, will you accompany me? I will need assistance in categorizing the children by the amount of treatments that they have already had and organizing the change in any medical practices that need to take place for them.”

 

Zoe nodded her head, apparently very eager to be doing something other than worrying.

 

“We should not be more than half one standard,” Song Qian said. “I will arrive on the flight deck to inform when we can leave.”

 

Donghae nodded his head. “I will come and assist with categorizing.”

 

“I'll go too,” Hyukjae immediately offered. He felt a need to be near Donghae, to keep close while Donghae navigated his way through the bad memories and old feelings, all of his nightmares flung outward and painted on the screens for all to see.

 

“Zhou Mi and I will maintain watch over the children,” Amber said. She pressed her forehead against Donghae's and Hyukjae could see the physical relaxation in both of the twins' shoulders. As one, they both drew him into a hug and he whispered the soft assurances that they both still needed.

 

Splitting up from the walkway, Hyukjae held Donghae's hand all the way into their original ship and into the medical area where they pulled up the data, breaking the groups into just over twenty children each. The work was a good diversion, a good wind down from the adrenaline of the rescue – at least until he and Donghae were in a slightly more private setting.

 

Donghae's hand landed on his thigh and stayed there, a promise and reassurance all in one gesture, and Hyukjae smiled, returning the promise with a brief kiss. Looking over the data, it was actually a relatively easy matter to categorize the children as the treatments had been meticulously recorded and detailed, including portions of the treatments that weren't fully working or hadn't appeared in the DNA scans.

 

“What's the process of the modifications?” Zoe asked as they began to put all of their data back together. “Because it looked like about half of my group had to have the exact same treatment about four times before it looks like they moved on to a different treatment.”

 

“The initial treatments are to provide the foundation for the extensive modifications,” Donghae said as he stared at the data. “For those, multiple treatments are sometimes necessary to ensure that the higher level treatments are not given only to have them not work.”

 

“So, there's the foundations and then the actual modifications, but is there something to... finish or seal it?” Zoe asked as she folded her arms. “Or does it just take and there's no way of undoing it?”

 

Donghae sighed. “I am not entirely sure. My last treatment was to be not only cosmetic but also to enhance my senses even more than what they are.”

 

Zoe's head whipped around, shock written clearly on her face. “Wait, you aren't... shit, what's a good word? Done? No, _finished_ with all of the treatments?”

 

“That is correct,” Donghae replied with a brief nod of his head.

 

“That's why crowds don't bother you so much, but why they bother Amber, right?”

 

Again, Donghae nodded his head, and Hyukjae threaded his fingers through Donghae's as a small comfort.

 

“Okay, so you said it was supposed to be mainly cosmetic – I'm guessing your eye color – and the... topper, I guess, to your senses, and you seem to be fine with missing that last treatment, but now I wonder if there's a cutoff point?”

 

“Cutoff?” Donghae asked curiously.

 

“The point where the treatments _have_ to continue either to their completion or to where you're at,” Hyukjae clarified. “Do you remember a point like that?”

 

Donghae took a deep breath and cuddled against Hyukjae. “Let me try and recall. You may continue discussing,” he said, closing his eyes.

 

Hyukjae looped his arm around Donghae's shoulder, not really surprised when Donghae moved around to sit in his lap, resting his head on Hyukjae's shoulder, trusting Hyukjae to watch his back.

 

“I know most of my group were barely started on the actual modification treatments,” Hyukjae said, his fingers gently moving up and down Donghae's back. “I think only two were in the group that I originally saw – the ones almost halfway done.”

 

“Yeah, I had a lot of those kids too,” Zoe agreed.

 

Song Qian made a small noise. “My group was more varied, but I believe I also had a lot of the older children. I had one sibling group that were within ten treatments of completing.”

 

“They will need to complete it,” Donghae said, opening his eyes.

 

“Why's that?” Hyukjae asked, keeping his hands moving steadily.

 

“Once Amber and I reached just over halfway...” Donghae swallowed heavily, the glow in his eyes intensifying. “The treatments came more quickly. We would... see things, hear things, _sense_ things with absolutely no control over being able to differentiate where it came from. It was... disturbing,” he finished, pressing closer to Hyukjae to find some source of comfort. “I had three sibling groups that will need to get close to completing the treatment in my set of data,” he added.

 

“I wonder if the boy who said he wasn't going to the brothel is one of those,” Zoe wondered aloud.

 

“That is possible,” Song Qian agreed. “Hyukjae, you two may go comfort each other for a time, I will process the inquiries and pilot with Amber if you are still unavailable.”

 

Hyukjae ducked his head down to rest his lips against Donghae's forehead. “Want to go?” he quietly asked.

 

Donghae nodded, and Hyukjae was left with the impression that he was far more upset than he was trying to let on. “Okay, thanks,” he said, getting Donghae to stand. “We'll try and be back before we make the next jump.”

 

Hyukjae led the way through the ships back to their room, keeping Donghae's hand curled into his. As the door closed behind them, he saw the front Donghae put up crack a little, and he wanted nothing more than to soothe Donghae any way he could.

 

“What do you want?” he asked quietly, rubbing his hands gently across Donghae's back.

 

Donghae tugged him towards the floor, spreading his legs and wrapping them around Hyukjae's waist.

 

“Are you sure?” Hyukjae asked.

 

Donghae nodded, shyly lowering his eyes.

 

Hyukjae lightly kissed Donghae's lips and kissed his way up to Donghae's eyes. Pressing a kiss to each closed eyelid, he pressed his forehead against Donghae's. “I love your eyes, please don't hide them,” he whispered. Donghae slowly opened his eyes, the bright, glowing blue making him smile a little. “Hi gorgeous.”

 

Donghae's eyes closed again, but they almost immediately reopened, a shy smile tugging up the corners of his lips. Hyukjae smiled fully, his fingers working on their clothing to toss it wherever it happened to land as soon as it was off their bodies. Donghae was silent other than breathing heavily, but Hyukjae knew to not worry. Over the years of their relationship, he knew most of what made Donghae tick and him reliving the bad memories of the treatments was sure to make him mute for a time before he fully believed that he wasn't hallucinating his real life. Hyukjae kissed whatever part of Donghae's body came into view – the line of a strong shoulder or the softer skin of Donghae's neck and the developed pectoral muscles. He paused briefly to flick his tongue over a sensitive nipple to try and drag a whine out of Donghae. Donghae grunted softly as Hyukjae kissed his way down the toned abdomen, his fingers playing lightly on the skin of Donghae's thighs.

 

He felt proud at the greedy gasp of air in when he licked at the red, leaking tip of Donghae's dick. Slowly letting his mouth sink down, he worked tiny noises out of Donghae's throat as he bobbed his head. Once he had the lubricant in hand, he spread the substance across a few fingers and slid one easily inside Donghae. He was rewarded with a low moan, Donghae's body smoothing arching up to meet every bob of Hyukjae's head or rutting back to meet Hyukjae's fingers that were stretching him out. Hyukjae finally pulled back when he heard the first hints of louder noise and he rested his body on top of Donghae's.

 

“Want me to take you like this?” he whispered.

 

Donghae nodded, his head turning slightly to expose his neck for Hyukjae's teeth. Hyukjae placed a few kisses along the skin there, but kept Donghae waiting for teeth on skin until he was pushing inside Donghae. Donghae easily spread his legs wide, soft whines coming from his throat, and Hyukjae finally gave into Donghae's desires. Sinking his teeth into Donghae's neck just enough to be felt but not enough to break the skin, he pulled his hips back and thrust forward harshly, keeping Donghae spread open and unmoving. He didn't have the physical strength to keep Donghae pinned, but this was a completely viable alternative.

 

He moved as slow as he dared to begin with, but he kept speeding up his thrusts, unable to fight against the desire swamping him.

 

“I love you,” he muttered lowly against Donghae's neck. “I love you so much Donghae.” He caught the high, breathy moan and glanced up just long enough to see Donghae arching up. Sinking his teeth even more firmly into Donghae's neck, he growled a bit as a brief warning for Donghae to keep still. Within two thrusts, Donghae was coming, screaming Hyukjae's name, and the strong contractions of Donghae's body made him toss his head back to call out Donghae's name. Collapsing down, he licked at the patch of skin he'd had his teeth in. Donghae made a contented noise, drawing Hyukjae firmly against him.

 

“Feel more like you're here now?” Hyukjae asked, feeling their chests meet with the pace of their breathing.

 

Donghae blew out his breath and nodded. “Yes, thank you.” The smile that Hyukjae cherished so much spread across Donghae's lips. “I love you as well,” he said.

 

Hyukjae grinned, knowing that he'd never be tired of the words. Kissing Donghae briefly, he traced a finger along the darkening mark on Donghae's neck, glancing back up.

 

“We should return to the others,” Donghae said after a moment of loving and yet intense eye contact between them.

 

“Only if you feel like it,” Hyukjae replied. “I'll be happy to keep you here until you're fully back into the present.”

 

Donghae kissed him, his eyes returning back to the dark brown when he pulled back. “I am here and now,” he assured. “You have increased your effectiveness in making me return to the present time.”

 

Hyukjae preened, the seemingly indirect compliment completely visible to him. “Oh so I'm fucking you too good, huh?” he teased, nuzzling his nose against Donghae's. “I can get you back in one orgasm?”

 

Donghae laughed, the happy sound so soothing for Hyukjae. “Yes you can, my love, and you are indeed very good at fucking me.”

 

Hyukjae laughed and rolled them over on the sleeping pad, pouting internally as he slipped out of Donghae's body. “Let's air off really fast and we'll rejoin the others.”

 

Donghae gave him a skeptical look. “Offering to take an air shower?”

 

Hyukjae snorted a laugh and hugged Donghae close. “Well I can't get stuck inside you the way you get stuck in me, and unfortunately we do need to help the others in getting the hell out of here.”

 

“I wish you could stay lodged inside me,” Donghae said lowly, his voice deep and slow. “For once I want you to be able to feel how I do when you are so tight around me with your body still twitching. I want to know how you feel, feeling me lodged within your body.”

 

Hyukjae leaned forward to kiss Donghae, the forlorn wish disappearing with what they had now. “It's amazing,” Hyukjae said as he pulled back.

 

Donghae smiled. “It feels exceedingly pleasant for me as well.”

 

Hyukjae barked a laugh as he rose off the sleeping pad and helped Donghae stand. He tugged Donghae into the small air shower, and though he still wrinkled his nose at the high-powered air, he and Donghae were dressed and on their way back to the flight deck within a few moments.

 

“Where's the docs?” Seungchul greeted as they walked into the flight deck.

 

“They're probably still looking at all of the data. We got them sorted by how many treatments they have, and Song Qian is probably contacting people now,” Hyukjae replied as Donghae went to sit in the empty pilot's chair next to his twin.

 

“I was not expecting you both so soon,” Amber commented with a sly smile.

 

Donghae gave his twin an indulgent look as he continued to swing back and forth in his seat. “Hyukjae is truly skilled.”

 

“Yes I know, we heard you.”

 

Hyukjae choked in embarrassment as Donghae smiled smugly, tilting his head back and letting the darkening mark on his neck slip above the collar of his shirt. Hyukjae shook his head and flopped down in the weapons chair, watching Seungchul wipe a hand down his face. He looked over as Song Qian walked in just as he'd managed to feel his face return to a normal temperature, her hair pulled back.

 

“I was hoping you all would be here,” she said. “Zoe Vasconcelos and I have completed the sorting and I have initiated the inquiries, but we do need to inform the children that need to complete the treatments.”

 

“Should we be planning on violent reactions?” Seungchul asked.

 

“It is possible, but I am not anticipating any reactions. We will most likely have more resistance to separating the children, but that is why I came to find you all.”

 

“We will lock the panels and accompany you,” Donghae said, his eyes beginning to turn blue again.

 

Once the piloting consoles were locked, they wandered back through the ships until they came back to the other cargo hold, where all of the children were still gathered in a large group. The quiet conversations hushed as Donghae and Amber walked in and Zhou Mi descended from the catwalk.

 

“Sort yourselves by your siblings,” Zhou Mi said, looking at the data.

 

Every single one of the children looked extremely apprehensive, but obediently moved into twenty-five groups. Older children with a significantly younger siblings were holding them against sides and in laps, while the ones with similar ages began holding hands. Hyukjae's heart ached at the terrified behavior, but the kids would need to be separated for this, so that they could better make decisions.

 

Donghae and Amber moved towards central locations in between the groups, their eyes scanning the groups.

 

“Fifteen, identify yourselves,” Zhou Mi called.

 

Hesitant hands raised into the air from a pair of girls that looked like they were just starting puberty.

 

“I will go to them,” Song Qian said. “We will take them to the medical area.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded his head in acknowledgment. “Eight, identify,” he called as Song Qian moved through the groups.

 

Hyukjae went to go get the two older boys that raised their hands. “Come,” he said, gesturing for them to follow where the girls had disappeared out of the doors. He kept his hand on his weapon as a deterrent as he led the boys through the halls to the medical area. He didn't relax even after they arrived and he got the boys seated on the floor.

 

“Who did you bring?” Zoe asked.

 

“Group eight,” Hyukjae answered.

 

“Eight...” she muttered as she scanned the data. “Ah, there you two are. Group Eight, two treatments over halfway done.”

 

“Ouch,” Hyukjae muttered. Two treatments fewer, and the boys would have been able to avoid having to complete it.

 

Donghae walked in with a group of two girls and one boy, and while it looked like the boy wanted to fight from the snarl, he kept shying away from Donghae while the girls clung to each other.

 

“Which group?” Zoe asked.

 

“Twenty-three,” Donghae answered, his eyes darting over to the group. “ _Sit_ ,” he growled, his order immediately obeyed as Donghae himself stood next to Hyukjae, near enough for Hyukjae to rest a familiar hand on Donghae's back.

 

“Resistant a little?” Hyukjae asked quietly.

 

“With good reason,” Zoe answered. “They're the ones with only eight treatments left.”

 

Donghae growled shortly. “No control,” he derided.

 

“With a damn good reason for being angry, too,” Hyukjae added.

 

Donghae grunted. They looked over as Zhou Mi walked in with Five One and her brother, who were holding hands tightly.

 

“Is this all?” Zhou Mi asked.

 

“Yes, thank you,” Zoe replied after she completed a headcount.

 

“I will return to the cargo hold, he should be more than enough to keep everyone obedient enough to listen,” Zhou Mi said, jerking his chin at Donghae.

 

“You nine have completed over half of the modification treatments,” Song Qian began. “Unfortunately, it means that you must complete the treatments either fully or only missing one treatment.”

 

“Why?” the boy growled, edging in front of his two sisters.

 

“Because of your reaction right now,” Donghae growled back. “You are hearing things... seeing things and you don't know where they are coming from. Your senses will continue to give you conflicting information and your mind will be flooded with senses and thoughts that you cannot tell is your own experience or others'. That control will only arrive with further treatments.”

 

Hyukjae had to give the kid credit, he was obviously scared, but he wasn't buckling under Donghae's stare.

 

“Brother,” one of the boys that Hyukjae had shown in called softly, using a respectful title for Donghae. “How are you certain?”

 

Donghae's eyes glowed bright blue, which made all of the children shift uneasily. “Twin and I were the first,” he growled.

 

“We're going to try and spare you as much pain as we possibly can,” Zoe said, her voice soothing. “You don't need to be awake for the treatments, so we'll give you medicine to sleep and then administer the treatment. Even though the treatments need to continue for you, you all now have a choice in how far you complete it, if you choose to finish or stay with one treatment missing. We are not making that decision for you.”

 

“But... we're slaves...” one of the girls from group fifteen said, her confusion clear. If Hyukjae remembered correctly, they were some of the ones who had been born into slavery or had been sold at such a young age that they couldn't remember freedom.

 

“Not anymore,” Song Qian said, her voice firm. “You will live freely, but the choices of others have limited yours for what you are able to do with your lives. Finishing the treatments will allow you to keep your mind, but it will be far more difficult to be placed in the brothels, and you will most likely be barred from becoming an entertainer or time giver.”

 

The boy from Donghae's group clenched his fists. “I am not going,” he said forcefully, only shifting his gaze downward when Donghae stared at him.

 

“The only decision you need to make right now is how far you will complete the treatments,” Song Qian said into the silence.

 

“What is the difference between the two?” Five One asked, her hands rubbing her brother's arms.

 

“If you complete the treatments fully, you will have a higher degree of senses and telepathy. Large crowds will be uncomfortable, making festivals and markets impossible to attend, and your eyes will permanently change color as you have seen on twin, to reflect the wild animal genes. If you choose not to complete the last one, you will be far more like me. Your eye color will change with intense emotions, but you will have a lower level of senses and telepathy. We will return you to the others and allow you to think about the options if you need time for a decision, but you will only have until the next meal to decide due to a business arrangement that we have entered into,” Donghae explained.

 

“I want to finish,” the boy immediately said. “That Zhou _filth_ that started this can die by his own creations.”

 

“You will not be able to complete that mission,” Donghae returned levelly, the hard-won peace with the limitation clear for Hyukjae to see. “The modifications prevent you from being able to harm any male Zhou due to the recognition of the psychic marker. He will return you to the others and you may ponder your decision,” he said, gesturing at Hyukjae.

 

Hyukjae leaned over, pressing a kiss to Donghae's cheek and whispered a brief _I love you_ in Donghae's ear before gesturing for the children to head out of the door. He saw the startled looks as they returned to the cargo hold, but Amber smiled at him.

 

“Now that you have returned, I will rejoin twin to begin the jumps towards our destination.”

 

“Sounds good, we'll get the kids settled down into a safer area before we start jumping.”

 

Amber nodded. “I will assist you with that first.”

 

Once the children were secured back in the prison level, Hyukjae rejoined everyone back up on the flight deck. The twins were checking that everything was ready and Song Qian had the power streams for the merged ships pulled up. He felt the ship rumble a bit as both ship's engines powered up to begin their series of short jumps towards their next business run, and he relaxed slightly as they jumped out, providing them the safety of flight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated.


	10. the space on earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey all - no warnings that I can actively think of, but I was getting a little anxious writing the last part, so be aware of that.

The ships seemed almost eerily empty to Hyukjae as they came up on the end of the last jump for the third minor run they were contracted to do. The majority of the kids had been dropped off across almost ten brothels, and the brothel owners were given either favors or money along with medical notes describing how to adjust standard treatments for the differing levels of modification for the children. Everyone had spent the time in flight interacting with the children and getting them used to socialization as free people instead of as slaves, but it left everyone feeling as though the ships were empty.

 

Hyukjae walked into the medical area after waking up, guessing that Sora would be there. “Hi noona,” he greeted as he saw her next to the bed that Five One was currently sleeping on with Five Two sitting trustingly on her lap. “Is it almost time for everyone to wake up?”

 

Sora nodded, a small smile on her lips. “The anesthesia should be wearing off soon.”

 

“Where's the Eights?” he asked, looking around and noticing two faces missing.

 

“Samuel took them to the cargo hold to burn off some energy since they're not finishing the treatments entirely. We're going to have to stop calling them that,” she muttered with a shake of her head. “They need names.”

 

“That can occur after everyone wakes so that all of the children will be named at the same time,” Song Qian said as she checked the readout. “No one will have an advantage over the others in the choice of a name.”

 

“Is there a social taboo about two people having the same name?” Sora asked curiously.

 

Song Qian shrugged a shoulder. “Not if they are named independently of each other or after an ancestor, but it is generally discouraged that two people named at the same time having the same or similarly written names. It is a traditional belief that two people named the same or similarly written within close distance of each other can bring bad luck or sickness meant for one going to the other.”

 

“Oh!” Sora exclaimed. “So they can all hear the names and then choose one that's different from each other?”

 

“That is correct. To name those that are already done with the treatment schedule would give an undue advantage over those who are now completing it.”

 

A small whimper from Twenty-three Two, the borderline violent boy who wound up being the middle sibling in group Twenty-three, brought their attention back to the children. Hyukjae gently pet the boy's hair to have some sense of the physical here and now. Hyukjae noticed the calming in the boy as he finished his treatments, and he guessed that the massive conflicting senses had caused the more violent tendencies to display. The boy's face drew up in pain as he cracked his eyes open.

 

“Describe your pain level,” Song Qian said quietly, trying to spare the higher level of hearing.

 

“High, not centered anywhere.”

 

She nodded. “Just a moment and I will relieve the pain.”

 

He was able to keep his now permanently gold eyes open after Song Qian administered a painkiller, and Hyukjae could see the relaxation from the relief. “Am I the first to wake?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” Hyukjae said. “But since you're awake, the others will start waking up soon too.”

 

Hyukjae waited around while the kids woke up and were given painkillers for their pain, all of them being soothed by the familiar faces of Sora, Zoe, and Song Qian and their siblings. Samuel showed up with the two boys in tow, all of them sweating, and Hyukjae blinked a little.

 

“You already wore them out?” he asked, gesturing at the two as they settled on a bed.

 

“Nah, was told to bring them back here for a quick meeting by your boyfriend,” the larger man replied, wiping at the sweat on his forehead, but was breathing normally. “I can tell you this though, whatever these modifications are, they're able to keep up in a dead run with me.”

 

Hyukjae smiled slightly at the casual term to describe Donghae without using a name. They'd all fallen into a habit of not using names around the children, so as to not place them in further danger from knowing who exactly had rescued them, since everyone on the crew was wanted by the law. Only Zhou Mi had needed to wear a mask regularly, as his face would be the most widely known to even the most casual observer.

 

Hyukjae looked over as Zhou Mi entered the room, his face finally free of the mask. The room became eerily still and quiet as seemed that all of the kids had even stopped breathing.

 

“All of you recognize the marker,” he said conversationally, but with just enough compulsion in his voice to indicate that he wanted a reply.

 

“Yes,” the children chorused quietly.

 

Zhou Mi nodded his head. “I am Zhou Mi,” he said, introducing himself for the children who were too young to know of him. The older ones might know him on sight, but since the drama in the Zhou clan had died down and he'd been out of the public eye, the younger ones definitely didn't know him aside from tales told late at night.

 

Hyukjae couldn't miss the flicker of hope on everyone's faces, and he caught Samuel's eye. Making a small gesture to indicate that he'd tell the story later, he ran his eyes across the room again.

 

“Since it would use up far too many favors to have you placed in the brothels, I made my own inquiries to people that I know and consider trustworthy to ask if they would be able to take you into their house, and they were agreeable. They will provide you education and care until such a time that you are willing to leave.”

 

At least half of the kids were crying by that point, and Hyukjae felt a little emotional himself. It was clearly above and beyond what any one of those kids had expected and the sheer look of hope and joy on their faces was a balm to his soul.

 

“These three that you are going to are dear to me, and I trust them fully so that you may do the same. I have considered their personalities and yours and have placed you accordingly. Eight, you will go with Huang Zitao who lives on Raeman. Five and Fifteen, all of you will go to Wang Fei at her residence on Hiling where she is currently at. Twenty-three...” Zhou Mi sighed slightly. “You are going to my maternal cousin, Meng Jia. These placements are conditional upon your approval of them. You are no longer slaves and you will not be placed without your approval.”

 

“I agree,” Five One said immediately, beginning the chorus of agreements.

 

The boy from Twenty-three was the last to say anything. “You trust them and us that much?” he asked.

 

“Those three provided me with means after my exile and disinheritance, and I have no doubt that you will prove yourselves worthy of the trust I am placing in you with the protection of the people dear to me.”

 

The boy nodded. “I will go.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “When we arrive at our next jump, I will forward your agreements to them. Until that time, rest yourselves so that you will be alert for the naming.”

 

“Yes,” all of the kids said, bowing as much as their pain levels allowed, more than a few touching their heads to the floor.

 

Zhou Mi granted them all a shallow bow in return. “You all have survived. Remember that, for it will help you to continue on in life.” Hyukjae looked over at the soft touch to his elbow. “I will return to the flight deck.”

 

Hyukjae nodded. “I'll be up there shortly, I just wanted to check on things down here.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded as he left. “Very well.”

 

“Have to go?” Sora asked.

 

“Yeah, it's my turn to fly for a while,” he explained. “Go get some sleep noona, you've been up for probably longer than I have.”

 

Sora covered a yawn. “You would have to say something about sleeping,” she grumbled. “Go on monkey, I'll take a nap here in a while.”

 

Samuel followed him into the hallway. “What the hell was that about?” he asked.

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “Okay, a lot of politics aside, Zhou Mi has been built up over about the past ten Earth years or so as this Robin Hood type of guy. He was to be the main inheritor of the Zhou family, being the only son of the eldest grandson, but he threw it all out for the lives of two tribute slaves, defied his entire family and was exiled and disowned for it.”

 

Samuel snorted a laugh. “Robbing from the rich and giving to the poor?”

 

Hyukjae shrugged a shoulder. “That was kind of a thing we did on occasion until we had to start running everywhere. Too many damn corrupt politicians that would just as soon keep more food cubes for themselves instead of distributing it down.”

 

“Not surprising somehow.”

 

“Nope,” Hyukjae agreed. “But that's why the kids reacted like that – they suddenly found themselves in the presence of someone who would be sympathetic to them,” he finished as they walked out of the lift on the flight deck level.

 

“My legend is sometimes unfairly built up from rumors and tales,” Zhou Mi said, his voice amused and a smile tugging on the corners of his lips as he joined them in the hallway.

 

“I think it says more about the status of things that people need a legend to get them through,” Samuel pointed out.

 

Alex looked up from the weapons chair as they walked in, offering a small smile as a welcome to the nearly empty flight deck. “We're just a few minutes out. How are the kids?”

 

“They're fine,” Hyukjae answered. “The ones that completed are in some pain, but painkillers solve a lot of that.”

 

Alex nodded. “Good.”

 

“We are arriving,” Amber said after a moment.

 

Hyukjae felt the slight shudder that indicated their transfer into a jump point.

 

Donghae's panel chimed three times and Alex rose to stand in front of the projector, hiding the others from view.

 

“Cheng Bao,” Alex greeted with a brief bob of her head at the vendor from the night market. He'd finally given them a name to use after the second run, but Hyukjae doubted it was his actual or governmental name.

 

“Profitable greetings, Captain. Are my supplies able to be transferred?”

 

“Of course. Once the ships are connected, we may begin the transfer.”

 

Amber slipped out of her seat, relinquishing it to Zhou Mi, as she went immediately to the cargo hold on their ship. Hyukjae took the time to slide onto Donghae's lap, nuzzling their noses together.

 

“Did you have a pleasant rest?” Donghae asked.

 

“I did, even if it was a little lonely,” Hyukjae confirmed. “You should get some sleep, too.”

 

Donghae wrinkled his nose. “We should.”

 

Hyukjae threaded his fingers soothingly through Donghae's hair. "Sleep up here. You and Amber have been awake for a long time and having the kids finishing up the treatments...” he trailed off with a shrug.

 

Donghae nodded. “Twin and I would be far more prone to experiencing a nightmare about our own treatment if others are not around.” He smiled and bumped his forehead against Hyukjae's. “I think we will take your advice.”

 

Hyukjae grinned widely. “Good.” He rubbed his nose against Donghae's affectionately before stealing a kiss from the thin lips. Donghae sank his teeth lightly into Hyukjae's lower lip before he pulled back and Hyukjae felt helpless to lean forward and seal their mouths together. It had been a long two weeks of minor supply and weapons runs and lengthy jumps where they barely had enough time to share a kiss before sliding out of the seat for the other to take over if they even got that, and they'd barely had five minutes to themselves to have sex every few _farn_ , letting them have a moment of connection in the mess of schedules and jump points.

 

Them actually having two moments to participate in a small make out session was so nice and Hyukjae felt his stress start to melt away, not even realizing how tight his shoulders actually were.

 

Hyukjae had his forehead pressed against Donghae's, both of them relaxing in the moment, when the console beeped again. Looking over to make sure that Alex was in place, he caught the indulgent look before he turned back to accept the transmission.

 

“I do thank you for your assistance, Captain.”

 

Alex nodded her head slightly. “It was our honor to provide. Do you require anything else?”

 

“Perhaps in a few _farn_ ,” Cheng Bao answered. “Suspicion is once again beginning to swirl.”

 

“Of course we understand your predicament. I do have... personal errands to attend soon. My employer will arrive if I am still unavailable.”

 

“A generous employer.”

 

“There is a reason I maintain my employment, Cheng Bao, though I have been offered by others.”

 

“A wise decision, Captain. May your trips be safe and profitable for your business.”

 

“As may yours.”

 

Once the transmission was cut off, Alex let out a gusty sigh. “Oh thank God that's done.”

 

Hyukjae gave Donghae another kiss as he stood up to let Donghae move out of the seat to go grab a sleeping pad for him and Amber to sleep on, and then looked over in time to see Zhou Mi give her a smile. “You have performed your role well, and that was wise to say that you had personal matters to attend to,” he praised.

 

Alex smiled widely. “Thanks, I figured it would be a good way to get myself out of the picture and let you take over. Where are we headed?”

 

“Hiling,” Zhou Mi answered as Hyukjae looked over the readouts. They were more than ready to go as soon as the coordinates were put in and he looked up.

 

“It's a planet a little less than a _farn_ 's travel from where we're at,” he explained. “We'll drop off the kids and figure out what to do from there.”

 

“Planning how to spend your store credit already?” Samuel asked from where he was standing at the holographic projection.

 

Hyukjae laughed, shaking his head as they jumped out of the empty jump point towards Hiling.

 

* * *

 

 

“Cousin!”

 

Zhou Mi smiled widely and caught the woman who had launched herself at him and spun her around a couple of times, her dark blue and gold dress swinging behind her, before clasping her hands and pressing their foreheads together for a moment to breathe in each other’s presence. “It is good to see you again, cousin,” he greeted. “This is my cousin, Meng Jia,” he introduced to the expectant crowd.

 

“Come inside quickly,” she said, tugging Zhou Mi towards the large, sprawling house. Everyone followed with varying degrees of awe as they stepped out of their shoes and into the house proper, Meng Jia showing them into a large, airy room with beverages and food arranged on tables. “Please, enjoy the food and drinks and be comfortable in my home,” she invited with a smile and a gracious wave of her hand.

 

The room was more than large enough to accommodate everyone from the ship, Hyukjae's parents and the admiral choosing a cluster of available seats while Sora held onto his arm, waiting for him to find a place to sit. The children of the former group twenty-three stayed close to Song Qian and Zoe while Samuel and Seungchul watched over them and Hyukjae found a spot next to Donghae.

 

“I understand you have brought me companions, cousin?”

 

“I have indeed. These three are the ones I informed you about,” Zhou Mi said, gesturing to the last three children.

 

She smiled and bowed her head slightly in their direction. “Welcome to my home. I hope that you will find comfort within it... though I wish is was slightly safer,” she finished ruefully.

 

“Are things troubled?” Zhou Mi asked immediately, his strong eyebrows furrowing.

 

Meng Jia sighed, her elite hostess facade cracking slightly, giving Hyukjae a glimpse of the personality below as a sneer pulled at her upper lip. “I believe that our patriarch is planning and scheming, and that his plans are about to come to fruition.”

 

“How so?” Song Qian asked, her head tilted curiously, the pins in her hair making noise against the stiffer fabric of her formal clothing.

 

Meng Jia glanced around in what Hyukjae guessed was a habitual way, given that most of the elites grew up mired and immersed in court politics and were far too used to being spied upon. “I am being followed when I attend the daily market and my... alternate activities have been curtailed. Father warned me strongly against speaking out against our patriarch or engaging in activities that would _contradict our family's long-held beliefs_ ,” she finished, the contempt in her voice saying more about how she felt about that order than her demeanor. “I was able to get around it for a while, but in the past two _li fan_ it has increased to where I cannot, I am found far too quickly.”

 

“How long is a _li fan_?” Sora asked him quietly.

 

“One _li fan_ is nineteen _farn_ , about a month for us, so she’s been followed for just about over two months.”

 

Sora nodded, quickly passing the conversion around.

 

“How are they finding you?”

 

Meng Jia shook her head. “I do not know, but their eyes look like those three,” she said, gesturing to Amber and two of the children.

 

The room almost instantly stilled, and the dread crawled through Hyukjae's stomach. A low curse hissed out of the admiral as everyone realized the implication. There were far more people with the genetic modifications than just the children, and they were doing the Zhou patriarch's bidding.

 

“Are we alone?” Zhou Mi asked, obviously startled.

 

“I disabled any electronic spying device when the sun rose,” Meng Jia said. “I do not believe that I have followers when I am within my house.”

 

Amber nodded slightly. “We are alone and may converse freely,” she said after a moment. “No one may arrive without warning.”

 

Most everyone relaxed at Amber's statement, but Meng Jia was obviously confused. “How are you certain?”

 

“It is exactly the same as how you are found so quickly when you go to the market. It is the modification of allowing us the sensing of strong thoughts and emotions in others,” Amber explained.

 

“Cousin... she and her twin are the ones I rescued and gladly accepted exile for,” Zhou Mi said quietly. Meng Jia's eyes went wide and her hands covered her open mouth. “We were reunited almost three _li fan_ after I left you, and we have traveled together ever since.”

 

“Do not feel shame for the actions of one, and actions you had no idea were possible,” Donghae said into the quiet tangling his fingers with Hyukjae's, and from the glowing blue of Donghae's eyes, Hyukjae guessed that Donghae was picking up Meng Jia's emotions. “Zhou Mi has informed us that you risk exile or death in providing the children a space to live freely, as he risked exile for us.”

 

After a moment, Meng Jia nodded her head, her hands slipping back down to rest in her lap. “As we are speaking of your exile, cousin, your mother has been given the impression that you will be welcomed back into the family.”

 

Hyukjae looked at Zhou Mi, who looked as confused as he felt. “Why?”

 

“I do not know, but she was speaking of you being recognized for bringing a large amount of prestige to the family, of the type that will please our patriarch.”

 

Zhou Mi snorted slightly. “I am unaware of how that could be, given that I have done nothing but hider any plans.”

 

Meng Jia shrugged. “I am unknowing as well, but your mother is very excited, she believes that as soon as you are welcomed back into the good graces of our patriarch, that she will be able to live on Yangshi again.”

 

Hyukjae watched the slight play of emotions on Zhou Mi's face – he'd never mentioned anything about his immediate family other than to say that his father had died when he was still young, and Hyukjae had merely assumed that his mother was dead as well. “I am afraid that I will have to disappoint her in that wish. Unless our patriarch dies and either Zhou Lu or Zhou Wen does not take a position as the head of the family, that is the only way I will ever return to Yangshi.”

 

“Yangshi is...?” Deokbon asked.

 

“It is the capital world of the Zhang Empire,” Zhou Mi explained, ignoring his cousin's confused look. “It is also the ancestral home of the Zhou clan, a fact that seems to... irritate our patriarch as the Zhou have never held the throne.”

 

“That makes the theory of him planning a coup more plausible,” Alex said, fidgeting with a sliced vegetable. “If he has enough people with genetic modifications to do something like follow family members, then he's probably gotten them in far more critical places, too.”

 

“I do agree, but having her followed is not a trivial matter,” Zhou Mi said. “Meng Jia is far more a threat to him, more than any of his other grandchildren would ever be, including me.”

 

“Why?” Hyukjae asked.

 

“People like me far more than our patriarch,” she replied, a grin curving her lips.

 

“They like you because you help them and they are personally loyal to you. That is a loyalty that cannot be purchased or threatened from them. If you gave the word, I'm sure that many of them would take up arms in your name.”

 

She snorted softly into her drink. “You say that as though others would not do exactly the same for you, cousin,” she replied with an indulgent look.

 

They enjoyed the hospitality provided them until they suddenly had to leave, alerted that Zhou Mi's mother would be arriving shortly, probably bringing more genetically modified people along with her as she returned from the market. Hyukjae noticed the approaching aircraft as Donghae and Amber pushed the engines to their limit to lift the ships off the surface, and everyone breathed slightly easier as they quickly gained altitude, stealthed, and left the atmosphere once they'd reached the southern magnetic pole.

 

Song Qian was rerouting all of the power streams in an intricate dance that Hyukjae couldn't even hope to comprehend as Donghae and Amber piloted the ship through the shaking, but he noticed the second the lights on the flight deck brightened and the weapons chair lit up. He hopped into the chair, the holographic display immediately appearing over his eyes as soon as he'd laid his hands in the appropriate spots and leaned back. The target information flew across Hyukjae's eyes almost faster than he could actually process, since it had been almost a year since he'd seen anything other than the information in an attacker. Taking a deep breath and letting his eyes close for a second, he remembered quickly how to glance and skim the information of satellites and other space traffic that was in orbit.

 

He kept his eye on the one flagship and multiple larger ships that were in orbit, most of their crews enjoying shore leave, according to Meng Jia. He only relaxed as Amber took them into a jump, finally headed back towards Earth in a roundabout journey that took them almost five _farn_ to ensure that they weren't followed.

 

“Now that's a beautiful sight,” Admiral Thorn commented as Amber and Donghae gently landed the ships on the lunar north pole, his eyes locked onto the image of Earth on the screen, much as Hyukjae had seen it when they first landed by accident in the Solar System.

 

With the additional power from the other ship, especially now that it was empty and mostly drained, it was much easier for the stealthing generators to stay on and working without the additional worry of running into critical levels of power. Even though they had the luxury of additional power – and the only reason they'd even brought the other ship along with them instead of destroying it was to use it as barter for more goods from Earth on advice from the admiral – none of them could break the habit of conserving as much power as possible. As soon as the ship had settled down onto the lunar surface, Amber and Donghae began shutting down most of the systems, reducing the signature of the ship before the stealthing generators were turned off.

 

They had very cautiously approached Earth, the conversation with Meng Jia unsettling all of them, and had used the same approach that they had originally used in getting to Phobos – mostly of hiding in polar orbits while scanning for hidden ships. The limitations of their ability to scan while in stealth haunted all of them, but as far as they knew, Earth was still undiscovered, and they wouldn't take any chances in risking themselves.

 

The second ship had been shifted around to where it was locked on top of their ship before draining the majority of the power so that they would feel more comfortable having a shield that any flagship would have to get through first.

 

Everyone was near holding their breaths as the admiral contacted Earth for the first time in over a month, but relaxed slightly at his nod, indicating that as far as anyone in Mission Control knew, things were normal.

 

“So are we all going to be using one communicator to try and brief everyone?” Seungchul asked doubtfully.

 

Hyukjae yawned. “Nah, come on, I'll get you set up in _Pioneer_ so you can phone home while I take a nap with my fellow reprobates.”

 

“You would remind me of how badly I'm going to be jet lagged when I get back,” Samuel grumbled.

 

Hyukjae was quick at changing the frequency in his ship and getting back to his bed, curling up against Donghae and happily sighing when Donghae's arms curved over his body.

 

When he woke up after that deep, restful sleep, he never would have guessed that within two solar days, he'd be piloting the cargo ship down into Earth's atmosphere with Donghae, both of them dressed extremely casually in their normal clothes next to Zhou Mi in his truly expensive formal wear, the dark blue and gold robe belted tightly over looser black pants, and he had pulled the longest strands of hair into a small topknot, putting dark hairpins into it. Everyone stayed silent as he and Donghae navigated around the complicated airspace of New York City in the rain, trying to keep low enough to not run the risk of commercial planes running into them, but high enough that the few boats out on the water wouldn't hear them or be caught in the wake of the ship.

 

Once hovering above their designated landing space, he and Donghae landed the cargo ship with barely a bump. “Song Qian? You here too?”

 

Her holographic face smiled. “Of course. These buildings are clear of the massive air traffic from this city, so I will maintain a patrol around this area.”

 

“Sounds good, we're putting the ship on standby and heading out,” he told her.

 

“I will be alert.” She paused for a moment. “Do be careful.”

 

Hyukjae smiled. “We will, I promise,” he replied, tapping his earbud as her image floated away when the console went to standby and locked.

 

“I would be generally displeased if anything happened to any of you,” Amber chimed in as she waited on the moon for them to return. “Mother is nervous as well.”

 

“We will be careful,” Donghae said in an attempt to soothe his twin and Hyukjae's mother, who was probably with Amber on the flight deck. “The requesting governments have guaranteed our safety.”

 

Amber huffed. “Very well. The political game must be played at points, much to my annoyance. We will maintain vigil.”

 

Knowing it was as close to a blessing as they'd ever get, Hyukjae waited for the ramp to lower – he and Song Qian had finally fixed the sticking gears on a long jump – and he had to stifle the urge to seal the ship back up and just take right back off until he had his normal weapon in hand. But he'd agreed to the condition of only having 'ceremonial' weapons on him instead of his far more powerful weapon. Luckily the glow knife fit the bill of something ceremonial, and gave him a small measure of comfort having it nearby.

 

While the reasoning behind wanting to have a diplomatic meeting was sound – no one really wanted to see how long it would take for accusations of hoarding non-terrestrial technology and assuming supremacy to start flying along with wanting to be fully prepared for a threat that no one on Earth knew existed – the timing and speed had everyone a little jumpy.

 

The ramp settled on the ground, and Donghae's nose immediately wrinkled up. “People _live_ here?” he whispered to Hyukjae.

 

“Yeah, millions live in the city,” Hyukjae whispered back. “I know the pollution is really gross, but we'll be back inside shortly,” he soothed.

 

Donghae's eyes were glowing as his senses were bombarded with one of the most populous cities in the world – from the noise that was probably drifting from the airports to traffic, and the smell of the pollution and humans numbering in the thousands along with the rain – and Hyukjae let his fingers drift over to hold Donghae's hand. Donghae squeezed his hand back in a soft thanks.

 

“Twin, it is a good thing you are not here,” he muttered.

 

Amber's agreement was fast and strong, making all of them force down smiles.

 

They were quickly welcomed and given umbrellas, and then rushed into the buildings, where they were immediately presented to the assembled dignitaries of the Security Council and the invited nations. There were quickly suppressed exclamations, probably how much Zhou Mi and Donghae could have easily passed for being Earth-born.

 

Hyukjae took a deep breath, nervous in the face of so many diplomats, but they'd agreed on how to present Zhou Mi, which gave him a little time to practice at least the introduction in English, getting his mouth used to forming the odd words again. He stepped up to the microphone and got himself ready to change the face of his home planet, for better or worse.

 

“I am Commander Lee Hyukjae, a native of the Republic of Korea, and pilot of the one-man scientific vessel called _Pioneer_ , which was designed to test the possibility of creating wormholes to travel to other stars and other worlds. _Pioneer_ worked, and I was launched into a human created wormhole.” He paused and looked around the room. He could tell that his name actually rang a few bells with people, most likely given in a briefing about the supposedly failed _Pioneer_ mission.

 

“I bring news from other worlds that we are not alone in our galaxy. This is Zhou Mi, a native of the planet Yangshi within the Zhang Empire,” he said, gesturing at Zhou Mi, who was just off to his left. “Earth's location and existence are unknown to the Zhang Empire, something that we have attempted to preserve to spare Earth from the dangers presented by the Empire at large.”

 

Hyukjae could see the room still very suddenly. “The Zhang government at present is something that I have deemed as a large and dangerous threat to Earth and to every human. My purpose here is to warn you of how to present this planet in the unfortunate eventuality of the Zhang arriving. Zhou Mi has intimate knowledge of what to expect and how to protect Earth from the Zhang. I will provide a translation into an Earth language of his words.”

 

Zhou Mi stepped next to him, briefly catching his elbow in a silent approval that relaxed his shoulders slightly. Zhou Mi knew of his nervousness in dealing with anything political, and Hyukjae counted himself lucky that his friend would reassure him when he'd done well. “I am Zhou Mi, of the Zhou family that has inhabited Yangshi since time can be remembered. The...” Zhou Mi trailed off as he heard exactly what Hyukjae had – the low warning growl from Donghae's throat.

 

“ _Deceiver_ ,” Donghae hissed, his eyes glowing intensely as they narrowed. Hyukjae followed Donghae's line of sight, the fear shooting through his system when he saw the flicker of fear and comprehension in the eyes of the Chinese diplomat.

 

Hyukjae's mind added up the two things – Donghae was obviously sensing something out of the norm and that it had to do with a Chinese diplomat – and he really wished he wasn't going to come up with the answer that the Zhang were on Earth. But he did, especially when he felt the deeply unwelcome feeling of a weapon against his skull and he was sent to his knees by someone who had come up behind him. Glancing out of the corners of his eyes, he saw two Zhang officers stroll in and toss a portable projector onto a table.

 

“What a primitive backwater dump. All they could be useful for is tribute,” one muttered before his voice was drowned out by the voice of the holographic display.

 

“I have claimed the Mandate, the reign of the corrupt and ineffective Lu clan is now over. My family has found a new planet that is rich in resources and will provide tribute that will benefit all...” Hyukjae could recognize the similar facial structures of the man in the hologram and glanced at Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi was watching his great-grandfather declare the beginning of a new rule almost impassively with a stilling arm on Donghae before one of the officers – Hyukjae hadn't seen the ranks before he was forced to the floor – shut off the projector.

 

“This filth,” Hyukjae felt the hard probe on his skull and had to force himself to not provide any response as the officer walked by, “will provide us a most handsome reward once he is turned in. Your patriarch congratulates you on a job well done in finding a new tribute world and he welcomes you back to the clan, along with your fortunate spot as his heir.”

 

Hyukjae closed his eyes, hoping that when he would open them again, this would all disappear like a bad dream. But it was all still there when he dared to look again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated.


	11. the space of memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey all - there are some massive warning that go with this chapter of again not nice things happening to people. there's definetely an allusion to rape and torture, along with murder, and there's also smut (not related to any of the former). I will provide a tl;dr at the end for those that aren't in a good headspace so they can keep up without running the risk of triggering themselves.

Trying to not be obvious about it, Hyukjae kept his eyes on Zhou Mi – not out of any sense of betrayal because they trusted each other far more than that – to see how this entire situation needed to be played out.

 

“How... fortunate,” Zhou Mi said, his eyes flickering around. “You know who I am,” he said, his voice forceful.

 

Hyukjae practically froze at the familiar order. It was the same thing Zhou Mi had said to the children less than a week ago, with almost the same tone of voice.

 

“Yes,” came the chorus of obedient voices.

 

He glanced over at Zhou Mi, a chill running down his spine as Zhou Mi let go of Donghae's arm and stepped closer to the two officers with a small – absolutely fake – smile on his lips. “Indeed such a _fortunate_ turn of events.” Zhou Mi raised his arms as though he was going to properly greet the officers, and then struck. Hyukjae winced at the wet crunch of a knee being dislocated and of two heads being viciously dislocated, even over the shocked screams of diplomats.

 

“ _Sit_ ,” Zhou Mi snapped, and Hyukjae breathed easier as the weapon was moved away from his head. Zhou Mi pulled him up, and then pat him down, looking for any hidden injuries. “You are uninjured?” he asked.

 

Hyukjae nodded and relaxed into the brotherly, comforting hug Zhou Mi pulled him into before Zhou Mi pressed their foreheads together and Hyukjae matched his breathing. “We could have played that out a little longer,” Hyukjae finally said as Zhou Mi pulled back.

 

Zhou Mi snorted. “I can only keep him calm for so long and without alerting the others,” he said, jerking his head slightly at Donghae, whose eyes were glowing.

 

Hyukjae smiled as Donghae launched himself into Hyukjae's arms, the low growl from Donghae rumbling into Hyukjae's chest and providing him with a sense of security.

 

“What happened?” Amber asked into their ears as Samuel and Seungchul finally appeared, having forced their way inside the room. They initially were not allowed in as they were both armed with guns and were extremely reluctant to give them up, but they had agreed and said that they would patrol outside the conference room while they were meeting with diplomats. They both had another genetically modified man at the end of a gun, who was probably set at the entrance as a guard.

 

“I do not have all of the information yet, but I believe that officials under the employ of my patriarch were the ones chasing us and they did find us here. Stay hidden until we determine if there is a larger ship or if they were sent as a detachment,” Zhou Mi explained quickly.

 

“Of course.”

 

“And Mom, I'm okay,” he said, knowing his mother was with Amber. “Just on a bit of a buzz, but I'm okay, we're going to work things out down here. Song Qian you might want to get in here.” He rubbed his hands down Donghae's sides, trying to get his lover past the urge to kill everything in his path. “I'm okay,” he whispered to Donghae, a reassurance for both of them.

 

“I am landing. I will leave the attacker powered on, I heard the portion of the broadcast and found the signal and I am recording it now.”

 

“I'll bring her in,” Seungchul said, flipping the safety and holstering his gun in the waistband of his pants.

 

“ _What the hell?_ ” one of the diplomats yelled, her voice going up to a near shriek and her face ashen.

 

Zhou Mi walked over and quietly ordered the man Samuel was training a gun on to go sit with the others.

 

“Hang on,” Hyukjae said, gesturing for everyone to wait over Donghae's shoulder. “Zhou Mi, can you find out if this it or are there more?”

 

“Answer him,” Zhou Mi ordered, pointing at a woman with glowing blue eyes.

 

“We were sent as a small force to wait for your return.”

 

“The ship you were sent from?” Zhou Mi asked, folding his arms.

 

“Following the signal.”

 

“So they're around Qinyan, probably,” Hyukjae muttered, shivering as Donghae growled against him. The buzz of adrenaline was wearing off and typically for him, dumping right into his sex drive. He almost desperately wished that he and Donghae were back in their room so Donghae could flip him over and leave bite marks all over his back and fucking him so hard he'd be nothing more than a useless lump on their sleeping pad. “Are they returning for you?” he asked, trying to keep his brain on the immediate problem that wasn't his dick wanting some action. He was also just trying to ignore the shifting looks from the Earth-bound diplomats as Donghae held onto him longer than what could be deemed socially appropriate.

 

“No, we are to return to them.”

 

Hyukjae nodded, his eyes crossing slightly as Donghae sniffed at him, his growling getting louder. “Ignore them,” he whispered, guessing what Donghae was getting upset about.

 

Donghae sighed. “Their thoughts are questioning and I am already deeply unsettled. I did not even sense those until they were here.” For the first time since Hyukjae had known him, Donghae actually had some uncertainty in his voice and didn't look particularly pleased with it.

 

“Is it possible for the others to create a negative space for thoughts and intentions?” he asked, gesturing. He'd help Donghae work through his own thoughts and he offered a small smile to Song Qian as she entered.

 

“Are either of you injured?” she asked.

 

“No, we're fine,” Hyukjae answered. “You might want to check them over first.”

 

Her hair spilled over her shoulder as she nodded an agreement. Donghae shook his head slightly, his longer hair bouncing with the movement as he brought himself out of the moment. “I suppose that it is possible,” he answered. “Though I am not certain how that could be achieved.”

 

“ _My family has found a new planet that is rich in resources and will provide tribute that will benefit all in the glorious Empire, and may it reign under the Mandate eternally._ ” Hyukjae looked over at the voice, to see Zhou Mi sneering at the image of his patriarch's holographic image, and that reminded him of the still-panicked diplomats and of one unfinished piece of business with the dead Zhang officers.

 

“Donghae,” he muttered, running his hand down Donghae's side. “Can you go scare the one you picked out and find out where they have the ship hidden so we don't have to waste time scanning for it?”

 

Donghae's eyes glowed and he immediately bounced over to hop up on the table, looming over the one diplomat that he picked out.

 

“Samuel, could you give them a quick rundown? Be sure to emphasize that if one acts, they all act. Earth's location is potentially known and if they feel they're going to get mired in politics and bad blood then they need to recommend someone that can work easily with others. If they need to know just how brutal the Zhang can get when they're just looking for information, I can show them my back. What Zhou Mi did is not going to be reflected on Earth in any way, he was within his rights since the officers tried to greet him familiarly. And for God’s sake, tell your government to keep their twitchy trigger fingers off the nuclear weapons.”

 

Samuel nodded and went to stand before all the diplomats while Hyukjae went to stand next to Zhou Mi. “This is a problem,” he said.

 

Zhou Mi made a noise in his throat, agreeing.

 

“He won't leave us alone until we're dead and you're under house arrest.”

 

“I am aware of that.” Zhou Mi's voice was even and calm, but Hyukjae had known him for long enough to recognize the anger buried with the etiquette. He sighed. “I have no desire to be Emperor,” he commented. “I have neither the temperament or interest in the position.”

 

“So who does? Who could we trust enough to let us live our lives in peace?” Hyukjae asked as he stared at the Zhou patriarch for a moment before checking on Donghae. A rebellion against the Zhou patriarch was almost a foregone conclusion, all of them deeply aware of the issues. When he turned back, Zhou Mi was blinking at him.

 

“Jia...” he breathed familiarly, as if he'd never considered the question before. “I would have to ask, but my cousin would not have many issues being Empress. She would see that as a position to where her influence could assist those most desperately in need. She holds many beliefs and values that I do.”

 

“Would she abolish slavery?” Hyukjae asked.

 

Zhou Mi nodded quickly. “She is disgusted at the thought of it, much as I am.”

 

“If you can promise me that, I can probably get them to agree to help us,” he said, his voice pitched low and jerking a thumb at the diplomats, who were watching Samuel.

 

“We would need to contact my cousin first, I cannot act without all of the proper pieces,” Zhou Mi replied.

 

Hyukjae nodded. “Sounds good.” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Wish me luck in convincing a bunch of scared politicians to back a rebellion.”

 

Zhou Mi set his hand on Hyukjae's shoulder. “I have every confidence you will succeed. I will make arrangements.”

 

Hyukjae wasn't really sure how he did it, but through a combination of pleading, threatening, and bribery, they at least secured a promise that the politicians would discuss and come to a decision before they returned to Earth in roughly a month, along with turning the ship the small detachment had arrived in over to the UN. Saying goodbye to his family once more was not easy, but it was bearable because he could see them again when he returned to pick up the goods that they had bargained the extra ship for, and saying goodbye to the others was nearly just as difficult, much to his surprise. Zoe was obviously touched when Song Qian fastened a hair pin into the bun her long hair had been pulled into, and they shared a hug as Hyukjae tried to find the words to say a farewell to Alex, Samuel, and Seungchul.

 

“We will see them all again,” Donghae whispered to him as he sat morosely in the pilot's chair of the cargo ship.

 

“I know. But farewells are never easy,” he said. He just had to hold off thinking about the emotional toll of the day for a while longer, and he sent Donghae a grateful smile when he held Hyukjae's hand as they were waiting for Zhou Mi to indicate that everyone was obediently settled.

 

“We may depart,” Zhou Mi said from behind them. “The ramp is sealed.”

 

Hyukjae nodded. “ _Cargo One_ to Admiral Thorn,” he said.

 

“Go ahead, _Cargo One_.”

 

“We're taking off now,” Hyukjae said as Donghae began powering up the engines.

 

“Copy that, _Cargo_. Safe travel, Commander,” the admiral said, his voice floating through the cargo ship's communication. “We'll see you in a month.”

 

Hyukjae smiled. “We'll see you then,” he confirmed as they began lifting off the ground.

 

The flight back to the moon was quiet and fast, and Hyukjae forced himself to get distracted with getting the six former slave guards settled into the second ship, and sitting with Zhou Mi as he made an indirect contact with his cousin through Wang Fei. Once assured that none of them were currently under suspicion and that all of the children were safe, a meeting was arranged to take place on a space station that Zhou Mi seemed to know well.

 

It wasn't until he and Donghae were in their room together that he finally allowed himself to fully crack and he cried into Donghae's chest, the emotional release too much for him to do anything else. He was already over the anger of getting ambushed, but it was more the heartache of leaving his family again that was getting to him. The ship seemed desperately empty and he already missed everyone. Donghae held him softly, pressing kisses into the bare skin of his shoulder.

 

Finally calming, he met Donghae's lips with his own, one of his legs wrapping around Donghae's hip to pull their bodies closer together. Donghae growled a little, rolling them over so Hyukjae was able to wrap his legs around Donghae's waist. As they kissed, he felt the small rolls of Donghae's hips against his and he lifted his hips to meet Donghae's. Moaning quietly as Donghae pulled back from his lips, he almost immediately tilted his head, giving Donghae assurance that he both wanted and needed what Donghae could provide him.

 

“I love when you give in to me,” Donghae growled into his ear, prompting shivers to go down his body.

 

“I'm yours,” Hyukjae replied back, his simple words belying the deep emotions behind them. Donghae craved the claim on his body and time, something which Hyukjae could happily provide him. It was his choice to stay with Donghae and he'd reassure both the wild and tame parts of the man he loved so deeply.

 

Donghae nuzzled his nose against Hyukjae's. “Just as I am yours,” he said quietly.

 

Hyukjae accepted the words and intent, understanding only the barest edge of how terrifying it was for Donghae to speak the words still. Kissing Donghae again, he provided the reassurance with his body and mind for Donghae to latch onto. They were already naked since the ship was warm enough to let them sleep without clothing again, and Hyukjae moaned softly, rutting upwards to try and get Donghae inside him. He felt Donghae reach over before pulling up and catching Hyukjae's hair when Hyukjae was about to follow.

 

“I remember,” he said, his eyes glowing and voice naughty. “When we were hiding, you wanted so many things,” he teased as he shuffled up to kneel next to Hyukjae's head. Donghae softly stroked Hyukjae's hair and Hyukjae flicked his gaze up and down Donghae's body, stopping at favored spots like the dark nipples and dips of the defined pectorals. He glanced at the long scar across Donghae's side that he loved to kiss, knowing how close he came to losing Donghae forever, and stopped for a long moment to stare hungrily at the hardening dick before lifting his gaze once more. He let a small whimper leave his throat, knowing exactly what Donghae was alluding to. Licking his lips, he nodded and waited for Donghae to turn and straddle his head while he spread his legs even more.

 

The instant Donghae's dick touched his lips, he opened his mouth wide and tilted his head up, letting the hardening dick slip fully inside his mouth. Moaning happily as the associated taste of Donghae spread around his mouth, he eagerly bobbed his head, his tongue working out every trick he knew to make Donghae start sucking him off and preferably stretching him open.

 

His hips jerked at the feeling of two wetly lubricated fingers sliding into him and he moaned around the dick in his mouth. He tapped three fingers on Donghae's back, begging for another finger inside him without words. Sucking hard on Donghae's dick, he moaned when he felt another finger enter him, his body instinctively clenching against the intrusion, but giving his brain the roughness he craved. He begged within his mind, knowing Donghae could pick up on the desperation and probably the sensation/image of Donghae's fingers moving in and out of him, loosening his sphincter enough to accommodate the dick in his mouth. He bobbed his head in time with the fingers that started moving within him, timing it so he was nearly swallowing Donghae's dick when Donghae's fingers made him moan.

 

He screamed as much as he could when he felt the wet heat of Donghae's mouth sink down on his dick, the intense stimulation from having his head practically buried under Donghae's strong thighs, Donghae's dick in his mouth, Donghae's fingers inside him and Donghae's mouth around his dick was making his body jerk almost uncontrollably. He could barely breathe, but he wasn't overly concerned with it since it was yet another surprising turn on for him.

 

He whined, long and loudly, when Donghae pulled his mouth off, his fingers out, and lifted off Hyukjae's body, leaving Hyukjae a pathetic wreck and pleading for Donghae's return to his body, the lack of sensations almost as startling as how quickly he was worked up by them. Donghae was already between his legs by the time he could force his eyes open and he was roughly pulled forward, his hips resting along Donghae's thighs. Reaching forward, he groped Donghae's gorgeously luscious thighs, and his hands turned firm when Donghae pressed inside him. He panted for a moment, trying to get his body to relax. Donghae helped him along by stroking his abdomen, his strong, soothing hands reassuring Hyukjae in a way nothing else ever could, and Hyukjae finally smiled at Donghae.

 

“Want me to stay like this for you?” he asked, his voice rough but as sultry as he could possibly pitch it.

 

Donghae's glowing blue eyes turned up as he smiled sharply at Hyukjae. “As long as you are comfortable.”

 

Hyukjae arched his back a little, fully exposing his throat for Donghae. “I'm fine,” he assured. He almost screamed when Donghae spread his legs open wider and started roughly fucking him, the pleasure spiking within him. Throwing his arms up to brace against the wall, he eagerly met each thrust as best as he could in his position. He finally did wind up screaming when Donghae yanked him up, a snarl on his lips and a growl in his throat. Hyukjae felt the sharp feeling of teeth against his throat, and he pressed the delicate skin into Donghae's teeth even more. “Stay... please,” he whined, his body strung out so tightly and desperately needing a release.

 

Donghae growled into his throat, yanking Hyukjae's head to the side and getting more skin of Hyukjae's throat in between his teeth as the thrusts stuttered briefly. Hyukjae tilted his hips immediately, a soft, submissive whimper escaping his throat as Donghae screamed into his skin. A second later, Hyukjae was screaming as well, his nails digging into Donghae's skin as he came, very aware of Donghae's teeth on his neck to keep him still. Donghae's dick swelled within him, triggering either a second orgasm or the very long continuation of the first, and as Hyukjae slowly came back into his own mind, he moaned softly at Donghae, who was licking at his neck.

 

Whining a little, he tried to project a need for some serious cuddling by trying to pull Donghae closer even as his body protested the angle. It took him a long few minutes to realize that Donghae was lying down to let him spin around, and once they were both facing the same way, Donghae set his lips back against the same spot he'd been biting and wrapped his arms around Hyukjae's lithe frame. Hyukjae shivered and cuddled back against Donghae, feeling protected and loved as Donghae licked at his neck and whispered soft words as he also came back into himself.

 

“Are you injured?” Donghae asked.

 

Hyukjae shook his head. “I'm fine,” he assured as he tangled his fingers with Donghae's, feeling the residual lube smear across his fingers on one hand. They both needed to clean up still, but right now Donghae needed the assurance that Hyukjae was entirely whole and okay. He shivered back, hunching down into Donghae's body. “I love you,” he whispered.

 

“As I love you,” Donghae returned with a squeeze of his arms.

 

Hyukjae turned his head as much as he could. “Are you okay?” he asked. “You got that I was totally okay with you getting rough, right?” he asked worriedly.

 

Donghae buried his forehead against Hyukjae's shoulder before sighing deeply. “Yes, you were making yourself clearly understood,” he admitted. “I should have foreseen that our unsettled emotional states would have made me far more animalistic–“

 

Hyukjae pulled Donghae's face back into his neck, offering him the skin. “I accepted the claim from your wild side a long time ago,” he soothed. “Bite me, claim me, mark me as yours if and when you need it. I love all of you Donghae, and I'll tell you that for as long as you need, even past the end of time.” He tilted his head up, moaning softly when Donghae sucked lightly on his neck. “You don't have to feel embarrassed about yourself with me,” he continued softly. “I know you do and I know why, but just remember that I love you, including the parts of you that you feel ashamed of.”

 

Donghae sucked a little harder on his skin, a sign that Hyukjae took as agreement. He let Donghae work the next orgasm out of him with a hand wrapped firmly around his dick before Donghae was finally able to pull out of him. They cleaned themselves and the sleeping pad quickly in the air shower before settling down for the rest that Hyukjae knew his body was clamoring for.

 

When Hyukjae woke up, he was disoriented and confused, his mind clogged with sleep and alone in bed. The familiar thrum along his body told him that they were in flight and that potential panic subsided, and Hyukjae guessed that he'd overslept, completely worn out from the emotional _farn_ he'd had. Stroking Donghae's normal spot beside him, he shook off the last vestiges of sleep and pulled himself out of bed to get dressed. He flicked his eyes over the other cells habitually, and seeing no one else there, he hurried towards the flight deck.

 

Donghae, as he suspected, was piloting with Amber while Zhou Mi sat in the weapons chair. Song Qian greeted him with a clinging hug at the holographic projection display, and he sat his head down on hers as he glanced over the images pulled up. Half of the display was consumed with the power streams, while another section had an image from the attached ship's flight deck, and the last section was showing their flight path. Hyukjae noticed that they were quickly closing in on the system where their meeting had been arranged.

 

“Do you know where we're going?” he asked her quietly.

 

She nodded against his chest. “It is where I first met the twins and Zhou Mi.”

 

Hyukjae looked down at her, quirking his eyebrows. “Is it the place where you were all detained before I arrived?”

 

She nodded. “It was a surprise to many, as the station is normally protected from casual discovery since it orbits within the magnetic pole region of a gas giant.”

 

“Still populated?” he asked.

 

She shrugged. “I do not know. It was never truly populated, just transient traders moving through, but given that it was raided and not many escaped the trap, it might be an official outpost, completely destroyed, or deserted.”

 

“Do we have a good identity for the first scenario?”

 

“Yes, we pulled in the identities from the other ship, and both are running the same one, so we will look like one larger ship instead of two connected ships.” She sighed and leaned into him, and Hyukjae rubbed his hand down her back soothingly. “It will be difficult to see the station again, no matter what the current state of it is.”

 

“Were you there for a while?” Hyukjae asked, curious about their lives before him.

 

“I had been on station for almost two _li fan_ before it was raided. Many ill feelings I have about the Zhang arise from that time.”

 

Hyukjae hugged her tighter to him, only half understanding, but he could make some educated guesses about what a raid would entail for a time giver, a couple of genetically modified slaves, and one exiled elite. “Do I need to kill someone for you?”

 

Song Qian snorted softly, a smile finally turning her lips up. “They are dead, and half of them were dead before they could even touch my clothing. The others... they are dead as well. While I wish I had been the one to kill them, I am satisfied that I saw their bodies.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “While we hold bad memories of the raid, it will be satisfying to plot the downfall of those that ordered it in the same location.”

 

Hyukjae pressed his lips into her hair. “Okay, if you're sure.”

 

She nodded. “The memories of power intoxicated soldiers that enforced themselves upon us have been mitigated by their deaths, time, and the presence of you unquestioningly helping us through the days where the memories are foremost in our minds.”

 

Hyukjae breathed out slowly, allowing the anger to rise up and then settle. “If I could go back in time, I'd kill them again and again for you.”

 

She pressed her lips to his cheek affectionately. “As would I,” she said with a smile. “Zhou Mi made sure that his _displeasure_ with our treatment was known and a repeat of it would be feared as much as insulting the Emperor publicly.”

 

Hyukjae snorted a laugh. “I can imagine,” he said, knowing from experience how Zhou Mi tended to express his irritation with things he considered to be a grave insult. Hyukjae guessed that it was also the reason Zhou Mi said that he never wanted to be Emperor – he actively shied away from power, knowing how easy it was to abuse, and why his temperament would not be suitable to the position in dealing with irritating bureaucrats – if Hyukjae ever felt any doubt about throwing his lot in with Zhou Mi, it would have disappeared in that instant.

 

He twisted his head around as he felt a taller body press against his and saw longer arms wrap around him and Song Qian. “Is it _hug Hyukjae day_ and no one told me?” he joked.

 

Zhou Mi's smile was wide and brilliant, almost like sunlight breaking through clouds if Hyukjae wanted to get poetic. “Is that not every _farn_?” he joked back.

 

“It is, and I'm definitely not complaining about it.” Hyukjae loved and craved physical affection, and it was his luck that he fell in with a bunch of people who weren't shy about giving it. “What's up?”

 

“We will be arriving shortly. I am pondering what to do with the others, though.”

 

“Maybe have them be guards for your cousin?” he asked, somewhat as a joke since they'd already sent one group of the children to live with her. “Or at least ask her if she knows where they could go.”

 

Zhou Mi tilted his head quickly to acknowledge Hyukjae's words.

 

“I think that would be a wise decision,” Song Qian said. “If she agrees to perform the function of Empress, she would need the protection of ones who could not be easily swayed, and having her publicly welcome them would be a strategic method to show how her rule would differ from your patriarch's.”

 

“You are far more astute than I am in those matters,” Zhou Mi said with a hand sliding down her hair. “I will ask them and my cousin if that is an acceptable option for all.” Hyukjae caught his concerned look downwards. “Will you be all right if we have this ship open into the dock?”

 

Song Qian nodded, her gratitude for him asking clear. “As I was telling Hyukjae, your method in killing those that insulted us has relieved me of many burdens, as well as time to dull the memories. The twins are agreeing to that option?”

 

“Yes,” he replied. “Donghae initiated the conversation about it.”

 

Hyukjae caught Song Qian's surprised look, and while Donghae rarely spoke of what occurred with his incarceration, he had guessed that his lover's experiences were close to that of Song Qian, if not worse from that look alone.

 

Looking over, he glanced at Donghae's face, wanting to do so much with him and for him, but he released his breath and buried that desire. He'd let Donghae tell him what he needed and wanted, just as he always had. But his guess did offer an explanation why Donghae always wanted to see his face at least once when Hyukjae was inside him. Looking back at the projections, he told himself that anyone who was involved was dead and that it was impossible to kill them again just for his own satisfaction.

 

The engines changed tone as they dropped into a jump point and both Donghae and Amber stood to come over and join the group hug. Giving Donghae a welcoming kiss, he let everyone take what affection they wanted from him. “Are we here?” he finally asked.

 

“Yes,” Amber answered from where she had tucked herself into Zhou Mi's side. “We are stealthed and scanning as much as we can for indications of what potentially awaits us.”

 

“Hyukjae, could you determine if there is traffic?” Zhou Mi asked. Hyukjae nodded and waved a free hand into the projection of the flight path, changing the view to a visual scan.

 

“Okay that's creepy,” Hyukjae said as it looked like nothing was moving. He shivered as a scene from _Alien_ flashed through his mind and he forced himself to glance at the bright power streams for a second.

 

“The station may have been abandoned after the raid,” Zhou Mi said. “It was a very busy trade outpost, mostly for barely legal activities.”

 

Hyukjae nodded, absorbing the new information. “We can make it busy again,” Hyukjae said, the determination crawling through him. “Or blow it into nothingness, whichever.”

 

Four amused snorts echoed around him. “Let us see of Meng Jia's reply,” Song Qian said.

 

“Want me to fly?” Hyukjae asked, directed towards the twins.

 

“We will be able to fly,” Donghae replied steadily, the only indication of inner turmoil reflected in the blue ring around the edge of his irises. “The weapons are powered?” Donghae asked Song Qian, who nodded.

 

“I'll do weapons, then,” Hyukjae said, wanting to be near both Donghae and Amber, but also of use.

 

“I was about to suggest you for that,” Zhou Mi said. “If the memories become too bad for you, I will pilot an attacker to the station alone to meet with her.”

 

“It is appreciated, but not necessary,” Donghae said, to the nods of Amber and Song Qian. “As soon as the scan is complete, we will proceed to the station.”

 

The scan showed no traffic, and few indications that the system even had any space-faring traffic, which both assured Hyukjae and creeped him out at the same time. They approached the station, which still had a small identification area being broadcast, and Hyukjae guessed that it was because of the interference of the magnetic field of the rapidly spinning gas giant.

 

The great thing about space stations was that even abandoned ones still had computer commands to initiate docking procedures once a ship was close enough, but it was still slightly disturbing to Hyukjae. They hadn't been contacted by any dockmaster, so Hyukjae was left to assume that the station had been abandoned entirely, an assumption that was proven true when the station computer immediately connected to their ship, giving the readouts on their holographic projection of information only the station controllers would have access to.

 

There were no lifeforms aboard the large station, and Hyukjae looked over at Zhou Mi as he stood up from the weapons chair. “Are there salvage laws that say we can claim this?”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “Our presence here is enough to claim the station as ours, a claim that can only be refuted by others claiming the same.”

 

Hyukjae nodded. “Cool,” he muttered, pulling up the station readout and making it larger on the projection. Finding the identification, he immediately renamed the station _Yavin 4_ for its broadcast. He shrugged at the curious looks from the others. “I figured it was kind of appropriate since we're planning a rebellion.”

 

“An Earth reference?” Amber asked, her eyes losing the glow and settling back into the normal golden color as the station was stripped of its former name across all broadcasts.

 

Hyukjae nodded. “There's an entertainment broadcast called _Star Wars_ and tells the story of the Rebel Alliance and the Empire, and in the first broadcast, the Rebels win a great battle around a gas giant called Yavin, and they're set up on the fourth moon,” he explained quickly. “They even have a projection table like this one.”

 

He enjoyed the amused smiles, and felt a small burst of pride within himself at making everyone smile for a few moments. Zhou Mi went into the other ship to gather the small force they had taken with them from Earth so that they could quickly move through the station. They moved as a group, the others – Hyukjae wondered if they had names – obedient and calm, all of them on the lookout for any movement as they moved towards the central area.

 

He could feel the quiet agitation from the twins and the stillness of Song Qian beside him as they came out from the docks into the center.

 

“ _Holy shit_ ,” he breathed as he looked down from the railing, his mind barely able to process just how _huge_ the station was. He imagined the lower floors were packed and chaotic, vendors yelling over each other as people moved through, and the upper floors like the one he was on probably had more shady dealings and trade. The station before the raid must have been incredible to just sit and people-watch, but now it was empty and desolate, the detritus of hastily packed belongings and searched items littering the ground. He had never been on a station as large as the one he was standing on, and it kind of blew his mind a little.

 

“It was indeed very busy and chaotic,” Donghae said to him quietly, probably having picked up on what Hyukjae was thinking. “It was as if all three _farn_ of the markets at the Night of Lanterns was packed into here at all times.”

 

Hyukjae shook his head slowly, trying to imagine all of it. “Wow,” he said. The raid must have been utterly devastating and he shook his head sharply, forcing the thought down. The twins needed to have his mind clear and strong for them to hold onto, keeping them in the present instead of stuck in memories. “Where are we going? Do we need to get into a central command area?”

 

Zhou Mi shook his head. “No, our ship is currently the central command area. We just need to have an area for meeting. Wang Fei indicated that she would be arriving shortly with my cousin and mother.”

 

Hyukjae nodded and followed everyone down the stairs that wound through the floors and down to the lower and main area. He looked over as Donghae grabbed his free hand, holding on tightly, then looked around to see what had caused a reaction. He stopped and stared at the skeletons lying on the floor, the ones not in small piles spread out in grotesque positions and there were still objects sticking out of the wall that told him the ones in small piles didn't exactly die on the ground. He counted quickly, and coming up with a full squadron, looked up at Zhou Mi, knowing exactly by whose hand had killed every single person each skeleton indicated.

 

Only Zhou Mi would have enough clout to have bodies left where they had died, serving as a warning.

 

“I was angry,” Zhou Mi said simply, his arm around Song Qian. Amber had clung onto her twin, and both of them were growling with the intense emotions. “Hence why I was aboard the prison vessel as well.”

 

Hyukjae nodded slowly. “I'd say you were very angry.” He glanced at the twins and then over to Song Qian. “Do we need to leave?”

 

“No,” they chorused.

 

“Let us continue on,” Zhou Mi said, jerking his head towards what looked like a nicer section, probably for higher status dealings. “There might still be items of value or usefulness that we may find.”

 

They picked their way through the station, finally finding a space with seats for everyone to be comfortable in. Hyukjae spent the time waiting with Donghae in his lap, his fingers lightly stroking the skin of Donghae's waist under his shirt. Amber had her head on his shoulder and he soothed them in the way he knew worked best – by keeping himself calm and thinking of happy memories that the twins could dive into. He only bothered looking up when he heard the beeps from the communicator Zhou Mi held in his hand.

 

“How do you even pronounce that..” Hyukjae heard the female voice say, floating out of the communicator.

 

Zhou Mi smiled. “Hello Feifei,” he said into the communicator.

 

“Oh good, it is you. I thought we had arrived at the wrong location.”

 

“No, we claimed the station under salvage rules. You should be able to dock without issues and join us in the central area,” Zhou Mi said as Song Qian pulled up a data readout from where she sat. “Did you bring guards?”

 

“I only brought those that you brought me and my trusted pilots,” she said. “The children were most pleased to see each other again, and they are all happy to see you as well.”

 

“I look forward to meeting them again as well. Maintain a vigil until you are docked,” he warned. “We did not detect any other presence, but it is best to be wary.”

 

“We understand,” Wang Fei replied. “We will be with you soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as promised, the tl;dr:
> 
> mimi is a badass, earth (and hyukjae) are safe. mimi realizes that when (not if) he rebels, jia could be empress. hyukjae wheels and deals for stuff from earth, the crew (plus the genetically modified people that were sent to earth) head back off to go meet jia. eunhae get a little rough during sex and have some nice emotional connection moments. they arrive at a station and we get more background about the crew pre-hyukjae, which includes bad stuff (like rape) happening right before they were put on a prison ship (and then rioted after hyukjae was aboard). mimi is not one to anger, and they saw evidence of it on the station. fei, jia, and mimi's mom are arriving at the end, in prep for open rebellion.
> 
> as always, reviews are appreciated.


	12. the space of business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, no warnings I can think of for this chapter aside from the implications and mentions of from last chapter, plot things are moving along. massive, massive thanks to snowyk (kara) my ever suffering beta (lol) who took time out of writing her honours thesis to look over this. ♥

Hyukjae noticed Zhou Mi's nerves while waiting and looked at him questioningly for a moment before realizing that this was most likely the first time he'd seen his mother since his exile. “You going to be okay?” he asked.

 

Zhou Mi jerked, obviously startled out of whatever train of thought he'd been wrapped up in. He blew out a slow breath, nodding. “I have not seen my mother since my exile. It will be... strange,” he admitted.

 

“Is she going to have problems with the twins?” Hyukjae asked seriously. Both Donghae and Amber's eyes still had a slight glow around them and he didn't want them further upset by a noble woman who could blame them for her son's exile and her own banishment from the capital.

 

“That I do not know, but my mother is a proper noble and she will not speak her mind until in private,” he admitted. “I did not even gain a chance to explain to her why I chose to do what I did, and she could harbor some resentment from that which would make explaining more difficult.”

 

“Should we go exploring then?”

 

“No, it is best for her to see that both Amber and Donghae are people, not just two unknowns that she may pin any resentment onto. As I said, she will not speak unkind thoughts until we are alone, but her mind will most likely be turbulent, so guard yourselves on that,” Zhou Mi said, encompassing everyone.

 

“Yes,” the others chorused, while Donghae nodded from Hyukjae's lap.

 

“They have docked,” Song Qian announced. “Berth... thirty-five.”

 

Hyukjae watched the slight gestures until Zhou Mi pointed in the direction opposite that they had arrived in. Hyukjae didn't know if it was a good or bad thing that Zhou Mi's mother would be spared the visualization of the lengths her son would go to in protecting those that he chose. Donghae stretched, shaking his head slightly. He smiled at Hyukjae and gave him a soft, lingering kiss that made Hyukjae feel like he'd just confessed all over again with the soft rush of emotions.

 

“Thank you my love,” Donghae whispered, giving him another kiss as he rose off Hyukjae's lap. Hyukjae smiled goofily, feeling like he was floating on cloud nine. Amber giggled at him, and he shook her hand a little, sharing in the mirth.

 

“You're welcome. Are both of you okay?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” Amber assured. “We are prepared for any recriminations and are resolute in achieving what needs to be done. It will also be nice to see the children again.”

 

“What children?” came the soft, hesitant question.

 

Hyukjae looked over at one of the people they'd taken with them off Earth, startled for a second. With the six of them basically locked up on the other ship, he'd forgotten for a second that they weren't alone. The woman, who he realized was the same one that Zhou Mi had gotten to answer him on Earth, was the one who'd spoken and she watched him intently. He caught sight of one of the men starting to raise his hand to her for speaking. “Hey,” he rebuked sharply. “It's a valid question. And you aren't slaves anymore so ask all you want,” he muttered, slightly disgruntled.

 

Six blank, curious, and somewhat frightened faces stared back at him, almost uncomprehending.

 

“We are... free?” one of the men asked, hesitatingly as if he was fighting with himself to get the question out.

 

“Yes,” Zhou Mi answered. “I apologize for not informing all of you sooner, but it was imperative that we arrive here quickly. Whatever obligation existed on you from my family, it is now gone and you may go freely where you wish.”

 

“But how? We have nothing...”

 

Hyukjae grimaced. That was the hardest part about freeing slaves – getting them out to where they either needed or wanted to go, given a lack of funds to transport themselves.

 

“We will provide you transport,” Song Qian replied. “If you choose not to stay with us, we will take you to where you wish to go or provide funds if it is on a world where we are not welcome. There will be many of those soon.”

 

“Why?”

 

“You will soon find out,” Zhou Mi said, standing. Hyukjae turned his head slightly, picking up the noise of feet and soft conversation and looked back at Zhou Mi, seeing the nerves more clearly in the quick hand pushing hair back and straightening his dark shirt before Song Qian reached out and grabbed one of his hands to hold comfortingly. Seeing the others also standing, Hyukjae stood up as well, his hand habitually resting on his weapon while Amber released his other hand.

 

“Cousin!” Meng Jia greeted as soon as she'd come within eyesight. She hurried towards Zhou Mi as much as she could in the stiff formal wear, and the two cousins shared a hug and pressed their foreheads together for a moment.

 

“You are well, cousin?” Zhou Mi asked.

 

Meng Jia nodded, her relief clear. “Wang Fei reached us before we were summoned to the capital.” She glanced back for a moment. “I have not had a good opportunity to inform your mother about why we are here and not at the capital, but she has been told of our combined feelings of slavery and has been warned to treat everyone with respect.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “I thank you, cousin,” he breathed, and Hyukjae felt a little of the tension bleed from him.

 

Hyukjae smiled as the children playfully shoved each other in their haste to run and greet everyone, and the sound of their laughter echoing through the center of the station was such a joyous sound to Hyukjae, making him feel better about their planned course of action. Wang Fei approached them with a warm smile and leading an older woman dressed in shades of green.

 

“Hello Mimi,” Wang Fei greeted, her voice casual, familiar, and rife with warm affection.

 

Zhou Mi smiled widely. “Hello Feifei,” he said before giving her a long, lingering hug and they pressed their foreheads together for a moment before Wang Fei went over to greet Song Qian. Hyukjae watched Zhou Mi straighten up, a nervousness surrounding him. “Hello Mother,” he said simply.

 

“Hello Mi,” she replied, her voice soft and modulated, but Hyukjae caught her rapid glances over his face and body, as if making sure that her child was alive and whole. She held out her hands slowly, and Hyukjae realized she was just as nervous as Zhou Mi. He reached out as well, holding her hands for a moment before they pressed their foreheads together and Zhou Mi finally pulled his mother in for a hug, his tall body curving around hers.

 

“Mi, I do not understand,” Hyukjae heard her say as she pulled back. “What are we doing here? Are we going to Yangshi?”

 

Zhou Mi sighed. “No, Mother, we are not going to Yangshi.”

 

“Yet,” Hyukjae, Amber, and Donghae all muttered.

 

Zhou Mi shot them a tolerant glare, but his mother had either not heard what they said or wasn't going to comment on it. He nervously shuffled. “Mother, I am going to declare open rebellion on Zhou Li shortly. You may either stay with us and be afforded what protection we can provide, or you may return to Yangshi. He will not treat you any better than what you have already been treated, but it is your choice.”

 

The facade cracked, and her eyebrows came together, creased in worry as she shook her head slowly, her jeweled hairpins clacking against the stiff, high neck of her green dress. “Please do not do this, Mi. _Please_. I swore to your father to protect you, but I cannot do it like this.”

 

Zhou Mi shook his head. “I know. But I will see this through. I have many grievances against him, and they will be answered for at the price of the power he so eagerly seeks.”

 

“He is elderly and does not have too many solar cycles left in his life. A few cycles, and you can be Emperor anyway,” she cajoled. “It will only be a short time that you must endure.”

 

“I will _never_ be Emperor, Mother. I hold no interest in the position and I do not possess the temperament to rule justly. If I go there, he will kill everyone who stands here now. He does not care for the well-being of anyone other than himself, and I can no longer run. He has chased us for almost a full cycle and he is fully prepared to plunder an unsuspecting world for his own gain.”

 

“If you will not be Emperor who will? Your cousins?”

 

Hyukjae blinked in surprise. The scornful tone of voice was familiar, but he was far more used to hearing it in Zhou Mi's voice.

 

“One of them, yes.” Zhou Mi turned slightly, and Hyukjae looked at Meng Jia, who seemed to be catching on to what Zhou Mi was saying, and her eyes widened. “Cousin, please consider the position. I will fight, I will rebel, I will do everything in my power to secure you loyalty from those that you do not already possess loyalty from until you can secure it on your own, but I cannot be Emperor. I cannot have that power and retain who I am. But you... you know what needs to be done and how to get others to follow you without force.”

 

She moved closer to him, resting a hand on his arm, the contrast between his drab black shirt and the sleeve of her bright gold dress catching Hyukjae's eye for a moment. “You are certain, cousin?”

 

Zhou Mi sighed and tugged Meng Jia along with him, headed in the direction of the skeletons. Hyukjae followed along after them, hearing the others following as well. Donghae ducked under his arm and Amber held his hand as they rounded the corner. The skeletons were still there, but Meng Jia had stopped in the middle of the hallway, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.

 

“I am certain,” Zhou Mi said quietly, the emotional strain starting to show. “I _enjoyed_ what I did to them, cousin,” he continued, his voice having a slight shake to it. “I should not have the amount of power in the position of Emperor, knowing what I am capable of. I am far too much like him.”

 

Her hands dropped from her mouth and she shook her head. “No cousin... you are nothing like him, and you giving up that position of power proves it. I will do it. If my life is forfeit already, I will fight for the chance of survival for myself and the children.”

 

“Thank you,” Zhou Mi murmured, pulling her into a hug. “I have one favor to ask of you.”

 

Meng Jia nodded. “Name it.”

 

“Spare Hyukjae's planet. They are unprepared and vulnerable. Few of them know that they are not alone in the galaxy.”

 

Hyukjae caught the startled look, but she nodded quickly. “Of course.”

 

Wang Fei circled around from her spot next to Zhou Mi’s mother, who was still looking at the skeletons with horror, the blank shock slowly fading into her normal slightly amused expression as she picked up the hem of her red dress slightly as she stepped around. “What did they do, Mimi?”

 

Hyukjae caught the sneer and wondered if Zhou Mi felt like killing them again. “They harmed and insulted those that I care about. I ensured a repeat would never occur.”

 

Wang Fei looked around, pausing slightly at Song Qian and looking for a moment at Hyukjae, who had both Donghae and Amber close, and she nodded. “Good. Filth like that does not deserve a continued existence.” Her head tilted curiously, her dark hair pins making noise on her outer dress. “What role have you already planned for me?”

 

Zhou Mi's shoulders sagged a little. “I do not have one yet,” he slowly admitted. “We are planning this as it goes and as the situation dictates. I am just now gathering the pieces.”

 

She shrugged. “That I can easily assist with.”

 

Hyukjae looked over at Donghae when he felt the squeeze on his waist. “What's up?” he whispered. “Want to go?”

 

Donghae nodded, his eyes glowing. “We should determine if there are items of value or usefulness left behind.”

 

“Do you think there's any?”

 

Donghae shrugged, rolling his eyes slightly. “Officers will leave some of the most useful objects on occasion.”

 

“I will stay with everyone,” Amber said slowly. “I do not wish to revisit those places.”

 

“Okay,” he agreed. “We're going to go exploring for stuff,” he said louder, catching Zhou Mi's attention, and jerking his head towards Donghae.

 

Zhou Mi nodded quickly. “Of course.”

 

Hyukjae followed Donghae as they wandered the empty halls hand in hand, occasionally shifting things out of a pile. It mostly looked like clothes and trinkets that people would leave behind in their haste to leave, along with signs that maybe wandering bandits had arrived at some point to find anything of value. Donghae singled out particular rooms or areas for a more thorough look, explaining what he remembered of the station before the raid.

 

They wandered up to the third ring in a roundabout way, and Hyukjae wondered if Donghae was running on autopilot, half lost in memories. Donghae turned to smile at him. “I can feel your concern for me,” he said. He stopped in front of a door and sighed. “It is difficult, somewhat,” he admitted. “While it was no worse than what I had already experienced during my servitude, it was also much worse emotionally since I was not prepared and was taken off-guard.”

 

Hyukjae nodded, unable to really say anything.

 

“But Song Qian is correct. The memories have been mitigated by time, and your renaming the station has also helped both twin and myself move out of the memories and remain in the present. As you have said many times – we have survived and we are loved.”

 

Hyukjae smiled widely and pulled Donghae into a hug, his affection and love spilling over. “You have and you are,” he whispered.

 

“That is what brings us comfort,” Donghae whispered back. When he pulled back, he looked at the door. “Let us see if any of our belongings remain.” The glow was back in Donghae's eyes, but his expression was calm. Without being able to read his mind, Hyukjae was left with those two pieces of information.

 

He nodded towards the door. “This is where you stayed?”

 

Donghae nodded.

 

Hyukjae hesitated for a second. “Is this where...”

 

Donghae nodded again. “Twin had been ill for some time, and it took Zhou Mi a full _li fan_ to find a time giver who would be willing to treat her when she became so ill we could not travel further.”

 

“Song Qian?”

 

“Yes. It took almost another full _li fan_ before twin was healthy again. The raid came three _farn_ after that.” Donghae smiled at him. “We were about to leave the station. Another standard and we would have been gone.”

 

Hyukjae breathed out slowly. One standard was all that separated him meeting Donghae and not.

 

“While going through the raid was unpleasant... we met you, and perhaps there is a reason we were delayed.”

 

Hyukjae smiled and threaded his fingers through Donghae's. “As much as I wish that we met without all of you going through that... I'm glad that we did meet.”

 

“As am I.” Donghae shifted, tapping a complicated code into the door.

 

To Hyukjae's surprise, the door slid open, revealing a room that didn't look structurally different from any of the others. Clothes had been tossed around, but Hyukjae could see the differences easily. Bags were still mostly packed, and aside from signs of struggles taking place through the room, it was neat and orderly, unlike the other rooms which had been thoroughly ransacked.

 

Hyukjae guessed that Zhou Mi's display of anger halted most of the searching in this particular room, and the complicated code had stopped wandering groups from entering quickly. “Do you want any of this stuff?” he asked Donghae, who was staring at a spot on the floor that was marked by dark stains.

 

Donghae shook his head sharply, as if shaking off the memories. “Everything would be useful,” he said. “More clothing, identities, a few valuable items, there are a few things that hold a sentimental value as well.”

 

“Okay I'll pack it up,” Hyukjae agreed. “Do you need to leave?” he asked.

 

Donghae sighed, looking around and sucked on his lower lip for a moment. “No, I have had almost six cycles to accept what insults were dealt to us. They are merely bad memories that linger for the moment. Twin and I want our reminders that we are free and we developed into our own selves, even before the raid. I am here and now,” he assured with a small smile. Hyukjae nodded, reassured.

 

They picked up every article of clothing off the floor and shook them out, packing them back in the bags they had come from. Hyukjae glanced over the room, and a small glint from the floor had him walking over to pick up the jeweled hair clip. “Hey Donghae?”

 

Donghae made a curious noise as he came up behind Hyukjae. “Oh...” he breathed, his hands gentle as he picked the hair clip out of Hyukjae's hand. “It belongs to twin. She was wearing it the day of the raid.”

 

“Does she want it back?” Hyukjae asked.

 

“I do not know, but she treasured it, as it was one of the first things she bought for herself.” Donghae smiled. “I will take it back to her.”

 

“Okay,” Hyukjae said. “Do we have everything?”

 

Donghae glanced at the three bags, then around the room and nodded. “Yes. We should rejoin the others and see what matters have been decided while we have been gone.”

 

Hyukjae grabbed one bag, Donghae another, and habitually carried the third bag between them. Arriving back out to the large center, they walked down the stairs and picked their way back towards the last place they had seen everyone.

 

“Ah, there you are twin. I was about to have the station scan for you,” Amber said as she swung back and forth in a chair. “Did you find anything useful?”

 

“Yes,” Donghae said, setting down his bag and pulling out the hair clip, presenting it to his twin with both hands.

 

Amber's face crumpled up with emotion and tears immediately welled in her eyes. “My hair clip...” she whispered, her hands shaking as she picked it up out of Donghae's hands. She launched herself into Donghae's body, both of the twins wrapping their arms around each other. “It was still there?” she asked as she pulled back.

 

Donghae nodded. “All of our belongings were still there.”

 

Amber sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “Thank you for going there, twin.”

 

Donghae nodded and gave her another hug. “Where did everyone go?”

 

“Meng Xia went to rest as she was quickly overwhelmed, and everyone else left for the ship to have a meal and rest before Zhou Mi will make a broadcast. I stayed behind to wait for you.”

 

Once Amber mentioned food, Hyukjae realized how hungry he actually was, and even the prospect of food cubes was enough to make his stomach growl. Both Amber and Donghae looked at him, amused, and Hyukjae smiled bashfully. “I'm hungry,” he said, shrugging.

 

Donghae's eyes briefly glowed for him and he leaned over to press a kiss to Hyukjae's lips. “Let us go share in the meal before we search further.”

 

They made it back to the ship, ate in good company, and Hyukjae slept lightly, alert for any sound that could indicate nightmares from anyone. Which meant that at the first chirp of a transmission being received, Hyukjae was instantly awake. Donghae shifted against him, his calm and dark eyes opening.

 

“Hyukjae?”

 

Hyukjae smiled and gave him a kiss. “We got a transmission, it woke me up.”

 

Donghae nodded, stretching out. Though Hyukjae suspected that the wild animal genes were from an animal that could be roughly called a canine, Donghae, once he was comfortable, was far more like a cat when he stretched. Donghae's mouth thinned as he smiled, lazily blinking his eyes. “What is that creature?”

 

Hyukjae snorted, reminding himself again that his boyfriend was mildly telepathic. “Cat,” Hyukjae supplied. “I'm more attached to dogs, but cats are cute little murdering beasts.”

 

Donghae laughed a little. “Perhaps when we go back, I could see the creatures myself. It is always interesting seeing the variety of creatures different planets have.”

 

Hyukjae nodded, remembering a few worlds where people routinely kept snake-like creatures as beloved pets, and another one where human sized flying things were regularly bonded with people, with whom they would stay their entire lives. “We keep the domesticated ones as pets, but there's also larger wild kinds, same thing with dogs. Those are the two most common types of pets we have.”

 

“Did you hear a message?” Amber asked sleepily from her bedroom next to theirs.

 

“Yeah,” Hyukjae said through one of the large open holes in the wall that afforded little in the way of privacy. “I was about to get up and check it.”

 

Amber hummed and rolled back onto her side, probably hoping to catch a little more sleep. Hyukjae gave Donghae a short kiss and lifted himself off the sleeping pad to pull his pants on. He didn't bother with a shirt or his shoes, the floor still kind of warm from their time on Qinyan. Space would cool the interior floors down eventually to the point where they would need clothes to sleep in and shoes to walk with, but he'd take the opportunity to walk barefoot while he could. Shoving his hands through his hair, he left it spiked upwards as he stepped onto the flight deck.

 

Tapping his personal code into the consoles, he let them warm up for a moment before pulling up the message. He snorted softly. “Well that's just good timing,” he muttered.

 

“What is?” Donghae asked from behind him, only wearing his pants as well.

 

“Cheng Bao just sent us a contact. It looks like he's finally going to have us do that major run,” Hyukjae explained with a pleased smile.

 

“He is most likely looking to capitalize on the chaos and uncertainty of a new ruler,” Zhou Mi said as he walked towards the console to read the message for himself. He shrugged. “Things are normally unsettled for almost three _li fan_ when a new ruler takes the throne.”

 

“It's happened before?” Hyukjae asked. As long as he'd been out in space, there had only been one Emperor, and this was his first change of ruler since he'd been lost.

 

“At least twice in my lifetime,” Zhou Mi confirmed. “Everyone with a modicum of power seeks to gain the favor of the Emperor almost immediately so they may keep their positions. The former Emperor had taken the throne almost a full cycle before you arrived. Things will be even more unsettled now that there is a change of dynasty.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “And then we'll unsettle everything.”

 

Zhou Mi smiled. “Yes. I will reply to him to arrange our meeting.”

 

“So what about everyone else?” Hyukjae asked. “Would they be cool with being left here alone?”

 

“My cousin and Wang Fei have much to plan for releasing people from servitude and how best to bring them up in society.”

 

“Well I kind of meant would they be fine if they're here alone and like say, some random pirates show up or something?”

 

“Ah. Yes, they would be well protected either through the station defenses or against an attack between the combined efforts of everyone left. As much as I disliked doing it, the ones we brought from Earth have been ordered to protect everyone here. My cousin will attempt to secure their personal loyalty. Feifei's pilots are well trained, as she is.”

 

Hyukjae looked over, surprised. “Really?” He didn't know if he wanted to get into asking why they called each other so casually or the story behind that.

 

“Yes, her father was a respected military commander that insisted his only daughter also know how to fight and lead. She is aware of how to fight defensively with the station and offensively with everything up to a flagship, but she is also adept at appearances and knowing how to use them effectively.”

 

“Is her family going to be a problem for her?” Donghae asked.

 

Zhou Mi shrugged. “Feifei can easily persuade her brothers into joining us, especially as they know of our previous relationship.”

 

Hyukjae huffed a laugh. “I was wondering about that.”

 

Zhou Mi shrugged a shoulder laconically. “We became involved when I stayed with her after my exile, as both of us had always pondered a relationship since we had met. But we also quickly discovered that our paths were taking us in different directions and would be better served by our friendship rather than a romantic relationship. She remains one of my closest friends aside from everyone aboard our ship.” He tapped a quick reply on the console and sent it. “I will get dressed and inform my cousin and Feifei about our contracted business so we can be there within his time limit.”

 

Hyukjae nodded and rose out of the chair. “We'll get dressed and ready to go.”

 

Song Qian and Amber were already in the water shower when they arrived back on their level, and they chatted with each other as they all washed themselves quickly, walking naked back to their rooms to wash their clothes in the air shower before stepping back into them. Hyukjae spent the few minutes that took to enjoy some time with Donghae, their bodies pressed together and their hands sensually running along each other's skin. It was almost a disappointment when the shower opened, but they got dressed and stepped into their shoes, ready for their coming run.

 

“We should be back within six _farn_ ,” Zhou Mi said to the holographic projection of Wang Fei. “Song Qian has transferred authority of the station to your ship. Maintain vigilance, we are not aware if others have used the station as a base and may object to our use of it.”

 

She nodded. “Of course. All of you be careful, and we will greet your return joyously.”

 

Hyukjae sat in the weapons chair, checking the data that flickered across his vision as the twins backed them off of docking and up through the wisps of atmosphere that had risen up to engulf the station as the station lowered itself in orbit to avoid one of the moons. Once clear of the gas giant and at some distance away from the planet, they began taking the jumps that would get them to their meeting with Cheng Bao.

 

They arrived almost half a _farn_ later, in a busy system. Hyukjae was glad that everyone was playing to their strengths – the twins were piloting, he was in weapons, and Song Qian and Zhou Mi were watching the space traffic for signs of trouble. The bright, vibrant colors in shades of green that flashed across his vision was much more suited for his eyesight rather than trying to find dark ships against the inky blackness of space. Zhou Mi already had a mask slung under his chin, ready for the moment Cheng Bao made contact with them.

 

The console next to Donghae beeped. “ _Bad Woman_ , this is _Arrow_ ,” the console announced.

 

“ _Arrow_ , you may dock and enjoy our hospitality,” Zhou Mi replied formally.

 

As the two ships sealed together, Hyukjae rose up out of the seat to let Song Qian sit in it, knowing that he and Donghae would be with Zhou Mi. Amber was fully capable of piloting the entire ship herself in an emergency situation, and since neither she nor Song Qian were known to Cheng Bao, they all planned on keeping it that way.

 

Hyukjae checked the charge on his weapon and made sure it was within easy grasp of his hand. He wasn't expecting trouble, but as Samuel had mentioned when they were rescuing the kids, that was where shit tended to go wrong. During one of their drop out points, he and Donghae had gone to get their face masks as well and hang them by the door of the flight deck.

 

He pulled the face mask on and made sure it sat evenly across the lower half of his face which helped blur his rather distinctive jawline. Donghae pulled most of his hair back and secured it before also pulling on his mask. None of them spoke as they headed for the smaller cargo hold, where both ships had sealed together. Letting Zhou Mi take the lead, he and Donghae stood to either side with their hands resting on their weapons. The outer hulls opened quickly, and the air gusted a little as the two holds equalized the pressure.

 

“Welcome, we offer you our hospitality,” Zhou Mi said to Cheng Bao, who was flanked by his own bodyguards.

 

“We thank you for your generosity,” Cheng Bao replied. “The captain is still unavailable?”

 

Zhou Mi tilted his head. “She expresses her apologizes for not being able to be the one to meet you, as her personal errands have taken longer than was expected.”

 

Cheng Bao nodded in return. “Personal matters must be attended to. She is indeed fortunate to have such an understanding employer who is willing to maintain business.”

 

“And it is to business we must attend.”

 

“Of course.” Cheng Bao held his hand out behind him, and was given a small satchel, which he presented to Zhou Mi in both of his hands. “Payment for my goods, location, and identification that I am the one that sent you. What is your price?”

 

Zhou Mi accepted the satchel. “Our price is one quarter of the goods we are transporting.”

 

“That is unacceptable. It is far too high of a price,” Cheng Bao immediately rebutted. “You expect everyone to have that kind of wealth–“

 

“You are, if I am not mistaken, planning on overthrowing your local governor,” Zhou Mi interrupted, his voice calm.

 

Cheng Bao froze before his eyebrows furrowed together in anger. “How...”

 

Zhou Mi shrugged. “It is normal in the chaos of a new ruler, and your timing is correct for an overthrow. It matters not to us of what you are doing with your goods, but our price stands.”

 

“If you know of our plans, then you are aware of how impossible that price is. We _need_ every bit of those goods.”

 

Hyukjae heard Zhou Mi sigh softly. “You are planning for your governor,” Zhou Mi said, his arm reaching up to dislodge his mask. “But I am going for the Emperor,” he finished.

 

Cheng Bao's eyes grew wide and he and his guards immediately kneeled, all of them pressing their foreheads to the hull floor. “My lord...”

 

“Rise. I have very little use for the formalities of my former station,” Zhou Mi said, and Cheng Bao scrambled to his feet, along with his guards. “Your name?”

 

“Liu Tao, My Lord,” he introduced, and Hyukjae assimilated the new name.

 

“Liu Tao, allow me to keep my price and assist me when the time comes, and we will assist you in your endeavor.”

 

Liu Tao pondered for a moment, his head tilted and staring at Zhou Mi pensively. “You will assist us in our battle?”

 

“If you agree to our price, yes.”

 

Liu Tao finally nodded. “Very well Zhou Mi, you have a deal. You may keep one quarter of the goods and have our assistance in return for your assistance with our... minor problem.” He glanced behind him for a moment. “One stipulation – I will send my son with you. You understand how I must protect my own interests, of course.”

 

Zhou Mi tilted his head. “Bring him before me.”

 

Hyukjae glanced at Donghae from the corner of his eyes, knowing why Zhou Mi wanted to see the boy. It was more for Donghae to get an initial impression and confirm the choice with Zhou Mi rather than anything else. “He is already here,” Donghae said quietly, yet confidence ringing in his voice.

 

Liu Tao's left guard stepped forward, his hand undoing his mask. Hyukjae was surprised and yet not at the youthful face, his cheeks still slightly fat from growing. Liu Tao gestured. “My son, Liu Xianhua.”

 

Hyukjae watched Donghae stare for a long moment before nodding. “His mind is guileless, and intentions clear,” Donghae said. “There will be no issues.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “Very well. You may enjoy our hospitality, Liu Xianhua, until such time as we return you to your father.”

 

“I thank you for your hospitality, my lord,” the boy said. “Father, I will go and return quickly.”

 

Liu Tao set his hands on his son's shoulders affectionately. “I will greet your return joyously.” He looked over at Zhou Mi and nodded. “May business be profitable and flights unencumbered.”

 

“As may yours,” Zhou Mi said with a slight bow. With a minimum of formality, Liu Xianhua stepped into their ship and the doors closed quickly, sealing the holds against the vacuum of space.

 

“Come, Liu Xianhua, accompany us as we go where we are needed. A word of warning – do not speak of the things that you may see or hear upon our ship and do not move silently behind us,” Zhou Mi said firmly, the ice in his voice making Hyukjae shiver.

 

“Of course, my Lord. You have my disclosure provided it will not harm those that I care for.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “Good. Let us depart.”

 

Hyukjae pulled his mask off, watching Donghae do the same, as they traveled back up into the flight deck. Amber turned her head slightly to greet them. “Was business conducted well?” she asked.

 

Zhou Mi tossed the satchel at her, the lob landing right in Amber's waiting hands. “Very well. We have our price and guaranteed assistance with our mission. The location is in there.”

 

Song Qian turned and arched her eyebrows. “What did we have to give for that?”

 

Zhou Mi smiled at her. “One passenger and overthrowing a governor.”

 

“What, does the governor live on a flagship or something?” Amber snorted derisively.

 

“He doesn't live there but he does have a flagship,” Liu Xianhua replied flatly. “One flagship and at least five garrisons under his personal control.”

 

“Your tactics need work then,” Amber said as she input the location into the computers and waited for jump points to appear where she and Donghae could decide their route.

 

“What do you mean by that?” Hyukjae heard Song Qian snort softly as she rose out of the weapons seat for Hyukjae.

 

“Overthrowing a governor is as simple as breaking in and shooting,” Song Qian replied with a roll of her eyes. “What possible reason would you need to deal with military for?”

 

“Governor Li Chen–“

 

Hyukjae groaned. “ _Fuck_ ,” he whined loudly as nearly everyone else made various disgusted noises. “The only thing that will make me do it is if we kill him this time,” he said, pointing a finger at Zhou Mi.

 

“I believe that is the eventual plan,” Zhou Mi soothed.

 

“Good,” Hyukjae grumbled.

 

They probably wouldn't have agreed to help if they had known that they were going up against Li Chen, having tangled with the savvy governor a few times before. Li Chen was more than just a planetary governor, but the governor of a larger group of systems and was practically a warlord in his own right. Hyukjae suspected that the pompous, self-centered, and somewhat powerful man was looking to rule more than just the collection of worlds below him that he already had. Corrupt, powerful, and greedy – he almost epitomized the worst parts of the Empire to Hyukjae. But with that, Li Chen would also be a very hard target to bring down. They hadn't had good opportunities or were unable to bring him down for the crimes they all knew he committed.

 

“We have our route. We will be there in three standards,” Donghae said.

 

Hyukjae leaned back and let the information scan across his eyes as Amber nudged them away from Liu Tao's ship. “No immediate dangers,” he said.

 

“We have an exit as soon as the ship is clear,” Song Qian said after a moment.

 

“Confirmed,” Amber said as she powered the engines up. They cleared Liu Tao's ship quickly and were out of the system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated.


	13. the space of rebellion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey gang, another warning for action (gets kinda bloody, sorry) and smut towards the end. also: kara is done with thesis YAYYYYYY!

Hyukjae kept his hand resting lightly on his weapon as they waited for the hold door to slide open and the ramp descend. He narrowed his eyes against the bright sunlight and blinked a few times to help his eyes adjust. They had landed on one of the worlds in far orbit around a blisteringly hot blue-white star, and in the middle of one of the many deserts that pockmarked the landscape of the planet. To Hyukjae, the dust had a distinctive tint of red, reminding him of Mars. They still had most of a month to get back to Earth, he reminded himself, so he'd focus on the business before him instead. Zhou Mi strolled easily down the ramp with Amber beside him while Hyukjae and Donghae followed.

 

“What is your business here?” a figure in loose, light colored clothes asked suspiciously as several guards held their weapons.

 

Zhou Mi pulled out the satchel and held it up for a moment before tossing it at the merchant.

 

The merchant opened the satchel, their fingers plucking out four hairpins twisted together into what looked like a snowflake to Hyukjae, the jewels glinting in the light. “Wait,” the merchant said, turning and disappearing back into a low house.

 

Everyone shifted slightly while waiting on the merchant to reappear, and Hyukjae was almost ready to offer playing a quick gambling game when the door opened.

 

“Come and enjoy my hospitality while the cargo is being loaded,” the merchant said, waving them inside. The guards shifted slightly, all of them relaxing the positive identification and clearing a path for Zhou Mi and Amber.

 

Hyukjae rolled his head around as the guards began moving numerous sleds towards the ship. While they'd been in flight, everyone had taken a turn at placing sensors down on the floor in preparation for cargo to be loaded. Hyukjae was happy that there was very little variation in packaging for any number of goods, including weapons, so they could already have the sensors ready to receive cargo into the neat slots already marked out. The only physical work he would have to do would be to climb up to activate the sensors in the ceiling to keep all of the cargo in place, since neither of the twins were overly fond of heights.

 

The work of moving the cargo off the sleds and onto the floor was mostly automated, so it was more a matter of waiting for the sled to be emptied and sent back, instead of laboriously trying to stack the containers themselves. He started mentally calculating the price tag of this little endeavor once the stacks reached almost three meters high, but finally gave up when the cargo stopped at the ceiling. It wasn't as much as when they had done their last major arms run, but the amount of weapons they were transporting would be easily enough to outfit a private army in preparation for an overthrow of a regional governor.

 

“Done,” one of the guards said, and Hyukjae nodded. Grabbing the gloves that would keep his hands from slipping, he pulled them on and scaled the rungs built into the wall. He crossed the hold, aware of Donghae's eyes watching him, flipping the ceiling sensors on as he swung himself hand over hand, like he was playing on a set of monkey bars. He hadn't started out with very much upper body strength, but he gained it quickly in doing jobs like this, and he was able to get all of the sensors done before he started feeling the weariness in his arms and shoulders.

 

Crawling back down, he shook his arms out as he wandered back to Donghae. “Hey are we going to be waiting around for a while?” he called down to the guards.

 

“So impatient,” Zhou Mi said jokingly as he stepped out of the doorway with Amber behind him. “We were informed that the loading was complete and we are free to go about our way.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “Okay,” he muttered, to Donghae's apparent amusement.

 

“You sound so enthused,” Donghae teased.

 

Hyukjae snorted a laugh. “Any time we don't have to shoot our way out of somewhere, I'm generally happy.” He leaned closer. “But I'll be a little more _enthused_ when I can spend some time with you.”

 

Donghae's eyes quickly turned blue over his mask and he squeezed Hyukjae's hand, a silent promise for later. Hyukjae kept their hands together, their fingers tangling comfortably. Donghae's hand was warm in his, and as they sealed the ramp and door, he took the time to run his fingers softly over the knuckles of Donghae's hand. He always found comfort in the slightly roughened skin, the sturdy bones beneath the skin and Donghae's palm pressed warmly into his. They held hands all the way until Hyukjae had to let go on the flight deck, next to the weapons chair. Donghae gave him a soft kiss and Hyukjae felt the whispered _later_ all the way down to his toes. He dropped into the seat, feeling like he had tiny cartoon hearts fluttering around his head. Amber patted his head as she passed by, grinning at him. Donghae was already in the main pilot chair, tapping their destination into the console.

 

It was almost two _farn_ later when were finally able to unload everything from the cargo hold, their fee already taken and placed in the armory.

 

“That's the last of it,” Hyukjae said to Liu Tao, pointing to the sled as it rolled down the ramp.

 

Liu Tao nodded, turning to Zhou Mi. “I appreciate your willingness to do business.”

 

Zhou Mi tilted his head slightly, the mask back on his face. “It was my pleasure to provide. Do inform us when you are ready to take action and we will arrive to keep our bargain.”

 

“We are moving against him tonight,” Liu Tao said, and Hyukjae rolled his eyes.

 

“Fuck me,” he whined.

 

Donghae and Zhou Mi laughed loudly for a moment. “You have a plan?” Zhou Mi asked.

 

“Of course. We had not planned on moving this soon, but an opportunity arose with your arrival, and it is best if it is acted upon quickly.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded slightly, and that was how Hyukjae found himself dressed as a Zhang officer as he walked into Li Chen's mansion behind Zhou Mi. He watched as everyone in the room lowered themselves to the floor, while Zhou Mi nodded gracefully, dressed in his stiff, dark blue robes that he had worn to the UN and his hair pulled up. Hyukjae noted the large holographic projection system on the far side of the open and spacious parlor, and he guessed that Li Chen used it to address the systems under his control. The lack of women aside from obviously hired escorts and slaves was both comforting and chilling at the same time as the group of maybe fifty men wandered about from having risen up off the floor.

 

It was their good fortune that Zhou Mi's patriarch had announced in the broadcast of the takeover that Zhou Mi, in honor of his _contribution_ , was welcomed back gladly, and would once again be considered heir. They had all known that the statement was designed to undercut Zhou Mi's reputation, along with beginning to trap him towards Yangshi. It was useful for the momentary distraction, and Hyukjae tried not to grimace as Li Chen hurried towards them, his luxurious golden robes nearly billowing behind him.

 

“It is our great honor to receive you, my Lord,” Li Chen said while bowing from the waist. “We would have prepared more if we knew that you would arrive to honor us.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded impassively. “It is adequate. I only arrived one standard ago, as my... guide... grew weary of space travel,” he said with a mildly arched look back at Hyukjae.

 

Hyukjae nodded his head slightly. “My apologies, my Lord,” he replied flatly. He took note of every exit around the room, most of them leading to servant areas, but there were a few guards sprinkled about at a few others, meaning they led off to more sensitive areas.

 

Li Chen looked between them, spending just a moment longer on Hyukjae. “I... see,” Li Chen murmured. “It is most unusual for a member of the military to disagree with space travel,” he commented.

 

Hyukjae snorted. “Is your eyesight failing you, Lord Governor?” he asked, obviously annoyed, while tapping on the insignia on his chest, indicating he was planetary forces, and would rarely be off a planet.

 

Zhou's Mi's lips twitched slightly as Li Chen flushed. “It is your obvious good fortune that I was properly greeted by Liu Tao and immediately informed about your event.”

 

Li Chen nodded. “I must thank Liu Tao properly for bringing our small gathering to your attention.”

 

Zhou Mi tilted his head slightly as he moved further into the room. “Ensure it.”

 

Hyukjae began moving, but looked questioningly at Li Chen when he felt the hand upon his arm.

 

“Have we met before?” Li Chen asked, a slightly knowing look on his face.

 

Hyukjae felt his stomach sink. Li Chen knew who he was, but like a cat playing with some prey, Li Chen would try and wait for the perfect moment. He pulled a slight smile onto his lips and tilted his head. He could just as easily play the predator and prey game, now that he was aware of it. “I do not recall, Lord Governor. Have we?” he asked in return.

 

Li Chen's smile partially froze and he leaned back slightly, dropping his hand from Hyukjae's arm. “I must be mistaken, then. Make yourself welcome as the honored one to... guide the heir back to the world.”

 

Hyukjae nodded his head slightly and moved further into the room. He caught Donghae's eyes, knowing his lover was getting agitated from the way the blue was beginning to overcome the brown in his eyes, but he was locked into a silent role, meant to be seen but never heard. He tried to think of calming and soothing thoughts to indicate that he had it under control, but he really had no clue if it was effective or not.

 

As the 'celebration' wore on, Hyukjae stayed firmly in his role, already understanding the inroads Li Chen was attempting to make into his cover; having already performed the same type of act before on Earth, he was familiar with the verbal jabs and how to avoid the traps laced within.

 

“Your business is doing well?” Li Chen asked politely.

 

“Of course, Lord Governor. I was fortunate that my father kept reliable employees within the business,” Hyukjae answered with a smile. “They often go where I care not to,” he added, seeing Li Chen's eyes narrow slightly at the cut off. Zhou Mi was nearby, and he caught the obvious agitation in Donghae as Li Chen engaged him in conversation.

 

Li Chen's expression relaxed slightly. “Perhaps there are business opportunities that we may discuss further.”

 

Hyukjae nodded slightly, guessing the ploy that Li Chen would use to separate him out. “I would be glad to discuss business with you, Lord Governor, at our Lord Zhou Mi's discretion, of course. I dare not delay him with minor trivialities of business.”

 

Li Chen's smile was chilly. “Of course. If you will excuse me...”

 

Hyukjae bowed his head briefly as acknowledgment. He knew, from that conversation alone that he'd probably be fighting for his life probably within the next standard if they stayed. Breathing out slowly, he mingled between all of the people gathered, making small talk and trying to work his way roundabout towards Zhou Mi. He was close enough to be in hearing range of Donghae and Amber when a guard lightly stopped him.

 

“Your pardon, our Lord Governor wishes to speak with you about a business arrangement.”

 

Cursing Liu Tao effusively in his head, Hyukjae caught sight of Liu Xianhua and Song Qian being led off by another guard, and he turned to look pointedly at Zhou Mi, who was nodding along – completely bored – to someone chatting at him, then he turned back to the guard and smiled. “Of course, please lead the way.”

 

Donghae was almost twitching visibly as he passed by, and he let his hand drift over Donghae's skin, noticing the immediate stillness. He took a deep breath as he exited the parlor area and reminded himself of Donghae. He'd live for Donghae, no matter what – and some pissant, corrupt governor was not going to take him away from the man he loved with every essence of his being. He also had Song Qian as backup, and he was far from helpless.

 

He wasn't surprised when he was asked for his weapon before he entered, and he made a big show of threatening the door guard if he dared lose Hyukjae's trusted weapon. The only thing that managed to surprise him as he walked in was his own face staring back at him.

 

“They didn't get my good side, obviously,” he commented as he strolled up to Li Chen's desk in the spacious office, glancing at Song Qian and Liu Xianhua. Song Qian was seated gracefully on a chair that wouldn't look out of place in some Victorian manor, her white and red dress perfectly billowed out, but her lips were thinned in stress as she glanced back at him. He looked back at his wanted brief and sneered at the picture again. He personally had many issues with his wanted brief, and most of it revolved around the picture. He could still tell the after-effects of apoxyia in his eyes and his hair was military short. He wanted nothing more than to burn that damn thing.

 

“Ah, so the ever-wanted Li Hekjai walks right into my gathering,” Li Chen smugly greeted.

 

“Lee Hyukjae,” he corrected under his breath. Several of the Zhang worlds apparently did not have the sounds needed to pronounce his name correctly and so it was usually mangled beyond any comprehension.

 

“I am sure that many would be interested to know how you managed to get so close to the heir, Li Hekjai, but I am afraid that will remain a mystery. Your reward is dead or alive, and it matters not to me how I deliver your body to the relevant authorities. These two will accompany you – I do not tolerate insurrection, and I have been aware of Liu Tao's plans for some time.” Li Chen's smile towards Song Qian was chilly and patronizing and Hyukjae wanted to kill him for that look alone. “I do apologize to you my dear, it is just your misfortune to have been hired by precisely the wrong sort of people to become collateral damage in the greater scheme of things.”

 

Hyukjae caught the slight movement of Song Qian and knew that she was ready to attack, having seen exactly the same thing he had. Just before he dropped low, he saw Song Qian shove Liu Xianhua over, rolling over his body and kicking her shoes off into the face of one of the guards. Hyukjae rolled closer to the guards, rising up easily from the floor, grabbing an arm and swinging the guard around in front of him to act as a living shield. He trusted Song Qian to protect his back, just as he would protect hers.

 

The guard he was using jerked as a blast from a weapon hit him, and Hyukjae gladly relieved the dead man of his weapon as he dropped. Hyukjae hopped over a chair, grabbing another guard by the neck and pulling him back, shooting another one, and letting his new human shield absorb the shot from yet another until he could get the time to swing his weapon around. He swung around once he let the body drop, putting his back to the smooth wall and he wished he had a bookshelf or something to hide behind. He saw that he was clear until Li Chen started to swing a weapon up from behind his desk.

 

Hyukjae saw Song Qian kick a hand holding a weapon away from her, and in a lucky break, the guard's finger tightened on the trigger, hitting Li Chen directly in the chest, making him sag into the seat, and he couldn't tell if the dark color was blood or the actual color of his chair.

 

Aiming quickly, he shot the last guard still struggling with Liu Xianhua. The boy was still inexperienced in his fighting style, but he had potential, and Song Qian was well able to take up the slack. They were all breathing heavily as the last body dropped to the ground, but they were still breathing.

 

“You okay?” he asked Song Qian. Her eyes were wide and somewhat wild, and he immediately hopped over dead bodies to pull her into a hug. “I know, I know,” he soothed as her hands gripped the back of his uniform tightly.

 

If there was a hot button issue with Song Qian, it was getting ambushed or taken off-guard in a fighting situation. Hyukjae looked at Liu Xianhua. “Hey kid, here,” he said as he tossed the weapon to him. “Go get your father and Zhou Mi,” he ordered. Liu Xianhua nodded quickly, opening the door and shooting the guards posted there while he soothed Song Qian, totally uncaring of the blood and various tiny bits of flesh staining the front of his uniform. Clothes could be cleaned later.

 

“Just breathe, we made it through,” he whispered to her as he rocked her slightly, her head on his shoulder. “You're safe.”

 

She shivered against him for a long few minutes, and Hyukjae kept up a steady stream of soothing words until Liu Xianhua reappeared with Zhou Mi and the twins, Liu Tao following them.

 

No one questioned what happened, but Zhou Mi, Amber, and Donghae all joined in the hug, recognizing the signs of stress in Song Qian. “Liu Tao, take your son and let your rebels inside,” Zhou Mi said. “We will comfort Song Qian and rejoin you.”

 

Liu Tao bowed briefly, and they were left alone, all of them offering what comfort they could to bring Song Qian more into the present and slowing her breathing. Both of the twins were growling slightly, the soft rumbles vibrating the air around them.

 

“I _hate_ that,” Song Qian grumbled as her body slowly stopped shaking as she recognized the safety of everyone gathered around her.

 

Hyukjae huffed a little. “Well, you got the kill on Li Chen, so he definitely paid for ambushing us.”

 

Song Qian's lips curved slightly. “That brings some comfort. You are well?”

 

“I will be until you see your dress,” Hyukjae said ruefully. “I'm kind of... messy.”

 

“You tend to use others as shields, I expected as much,” she replied. “We can find other clothing with the rebels, I suspect.”

 

“I will inquire for additional clothes,” Amber said. “You are well Song Qian?” she asked worriedly, a soft growl still coming from her throat.

 

Song Qian held Amber's hand silently for a moment before smiling at her. “I am well,” she assured. Rising up a little as Amber darted out of the room, she pressed her forehead to Hyukjae's before giving him an affectionate kiss. “Thank you Hyukjae,” she said.

 

Hyukjae smiled. “You're welcome. I'd better peel myself off you now before your dress gets any more blood soaked into it,” he said with a self-depreciating laugh as he pulled back.

 

Song Qian wrinkled her nose almost delicately as she saw Hyukjae's uniform, but her eyes turned up as she looked to her left, where Hyukjae could still hear the soft growling. “You might want to discard the uniform top before Donghae gets more agitated.”

 

“It's the blood,” he and Donghae chorused at the same time.

 

“I am also still agitated that Li Chen's mind was knowing and smug and I could not say anything,” Donghae growled.

 

Zhou Mi patted Donghae's shoulder. “After this, you and Amber will never again have to be silent guards.”

 

Donghae nodded his head. “I felt your discomfort at the entire spectacle, but it was a cunning plan – until Li Chen recognized Hyukjae.”

 

“Yeah, I knew as soon as he stopped me the first time that he remembered me,” Hyukjae replied with a shake of his head, his fingers slipping on the blood smeared buttons. “Fuck,” he grumbled when he'd barely gotten three buttons undone. “Donghae?”

 

Donghae smiled, his hands diving into the space between the buttons and yanking hard, popping the buttons and making Hyukjae feel like he could actually breathe again. He had been so lucky that he got through the altercation with Li Chen without incident, considering how tight the uniform was across his shoulders. Happily dropping the bloodied mess of the uniform jacket to the floor, he stripped off the shirt that went underneath and mopped up any blood that still remained on his skin off with the back of the shirt. He smiled when he felt Donghae's arms circle around his waist, yanking him back. He could feel the growls vibrating against his back and he let his head drift off to the side as his hands covered Donghae's across his stomach. Zhou Mi was softly petting Song Qian's hair with one hand while another rested comfortingly at the nape of her neck as he hugged her tightly.

 

“Can't wait until I can take a shower, I probably smell horrible,” he said quietly.

 

He felt Donghae smile against his skin. “You smell victorious now that you're not soaked in blood.” His breath caught as Donghae pressed forward with his hips, smiling slightly at the insistent press against his ass.

 

Hyukjae's hand sneaked around Donghae's body, grabbing a handful of his lover's fleshy ass. He rubbed back against Donghae, wanting to hurry back to their room, but knowing they still had a few things still to do. “Want me like this tonight?”

 

Donghae hummed. “We may not have enough time for that,” he replied regretfully. “But I am feeling very... _instinctual_. It seems to be a very good time for you to be in my position.”

 

Hyukjae looked back at Donghae and nodded. “Let me know if you still want that when we're in our room.”

 

Donghae smiled at him, his blue eyes slowly closing. “You are always so considerate of that,” he murmured against Hyukjae's skin. “I am certain, though. I _need_ you to assume superiority over my wild side and make a claim it understands. I want to spread my legs for you,” he growled into Hyukjae's ear, his voice barely heard.

 

Hyukjae shuddered, and if Amber hadn't walked back in with an armful of clothes, he would have just shoved Donghae out of the door and into the nearest transport back to their ship.

 

Amber looked at them knowingly and tossed Hyukjae a set of clothes. “Twin...” she said, with a hint of warning.

 

Donghae growled. “I am aware we still have much to do, twin. My senses have not become that clouded yet.”

 

“I will assist with keeping the more... insistent thoughts to a minimum until we are able to move on,” Amber said softly, her eyes understanding. “We will hasten back, twin,” she assured.

 

Donghae nodded, and Hyukjae could feel the physical exertion of Donghae literally fighting against his own body to let Hyukjae go. Hyukjae swiftly changed clothes, already understanding what a tightrope walk Donghae was doing between his two minds trapped in one and why Amber didn't have to. Song Qian stripped her bloodied dress off and stepped into almost-jeans and pulled a tight black sleeveless shirt over her head, much the same as what Hyukjae was wearing. But unlike Hyukjae, she grimaced slightly and reached inside to move her breasts up before jumping and nodding.

 

Hyukjae shook his head with a smile. “Those seem like such a pain in the ass.”

 

Song Qian smiled as she picked up her dress and shoes from the floor. “They are useful when beings are attracted to them, but dressing them hurriedly and with a tight shirt does necessitate an extra moment. Let us see of Liu Tao so that we may quickly leave.”

 

They walked back down the hall, only pausing for Hyukjae to retrieve his weapon, before reappearing in the parlor area. Liu Tao inclined his head briefly. “I am relieved that you both are well,” he greeted, his forces keeping the small crowd quiet.

 

Song Qian nodded. “Your son is inexperienced, but a capable fighter. I am relieved that he was accompanying me, as that odious task would have been much more difficult.”

 

Liu Tao gifted his son with a proud look that had Liu Xianhua smiling widely. “My thanks for speaking kind words. Zhou Mi, would you have advice for dealing with our prisoners?”

 

Zhou Mi shrugged a shoulder. “Do with them what you wish after you release the servants and the hired ones. They disgust me to the depths of my being for being in league with Li Chen. However... a small favor.”

 

“Of course,” Liu Tao immediately replied.

 

“We are on an established world with direct access to every broadcast within the Empire and the authority to override it. I need that access here to protect those that I care for.”

 

Liu Tao snapped his fingers at a rather burly man. “Set it up,” he ordered. “It will take a few moments.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “Understandable. I will contact our base.”

 

“Would you prefer a private location my Lord?” the man asked, his fingers busy at the large projector connected to the broadcasts.

 

“No, this is fine. We will destroy this broadcast system when we are done,” Zhou Mi replied as he tapped out a request for communication.

 

Hyukjae leaned against Amber, who wrapped an arm around his waist. “You two doing okay?” he asked her.

 

She nodded. “Twin is having the worst effects. It is times like this that I am truly thankful for being born as I was, but I wish I could understand and relieve his suffering, even the slightest amount, no matter how uncomfortable it would be for me.”

 

Hyukjae pressed a kiss into her hairline. “It shouldn't be too much longer.”

 

Her golden eyes were amused as she looked at him. “Should I not be assuring you of that? I am deeply aware of the effects of combat upon the libidos of you and twin.”

 

“Makes you glad you don't have one, doesn't it?” he teased.

 

“ _Yes_ ,” she replied. “I am deeply thankful to twin for soaking up all hints of sexual desire before we were born. It seems to be dreadfully unpleasant, which always makes me sorry to him that I cannot understand it.”

 

Hyukjae huffed a laugh and shifted slightly. His dick was only half getting the message that it would be a short time before he was together with Donghae. “It has its perks for us,” he murmured as Wang Fei's image appeared.

 

“Hello Mimi,” she greeted warmly.

 

“Hello Feifei. Where is my cousin?”

 

Meng Jia's face appeared next to Wang Fei's. “I am here, cousin. Were you successful in your business?”

 

“We were very successful, and we are preparing to make the broadcast from here in order to keep your location secure. Are you prepared?”

 

Both women nodded. “I believe we have many workable plans, cousin. We are prepared,” Meng Jia replied. “I do not much look the part at the moment, but I believe my actions will overcome that.”

 

“You have something far more valuable cousin, you have obtained personal loyalty.”

 

“My Lord, when you are ready I will connect you to the broadcast,” the man said. “I have pulled in your cousin's signal and will combine the two.”

 

Zhou Mi looked down at himself, a sneer pulling at his lips. “Just a moment. I will not appear before the Empire wearing these false robes. Liu Tao, is there another set of clothing similar to what you have already provided?”

 

Liu Tao hesitated, but nodded. “Of course, but you are much taller than most of my troops...” he trailed off a little helplessly.

 

Zhou Mi shrugged. “That is fine. I will use them until I am able to retrieve my clothing.”

 

“Cut it off at the knee if it's too short,” Hyukjae suggested. “That way it won't bother you so much and you still have freedom of movement.”

 

“A wise suggestion,” Liu Tao agreed. A woman jogged up to him with a set of clothing in her hands. Zhou Mi nodded his thanks in accepting the clothes. Zhou Mi pulled the pants on before unfastening his robe and he seemed far more comfortable with the sleeveless top.

 

“Finally,” he muttered and Hyukjae snickered as he saw the hem of the pants rose to almost halfway up Zhou Mi's calves.

 

“Feeling more like yourself?”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “Much more like myself, even if I do feel a bit foolish from the length of the pants,” he grinned as he pulled them up to his knees. “You may proceed.”

 

The man held up a hand and with a few taps, brought it down.

 

Zhou Mi drew in a visible breath. “I am Zhou Mi. For these past twelve cycles, I have been exiled from the Zhou clan due to my actions in freeing two people from torture and servitude, two people I am proud to call my friends. My patriarch, my great-grandfather, has declared that I am once again welcome and considered his heir.” Zhou Mi shook his head sharply. “I know this to be a lie. He will kill the people I have traveled with and have given my loyalty to for his own gain in isolating me, and I have no interest in the position of Emperor, for I know myself well. People of the Empire, hear me on this. I would not make a proper ruler for you, but there is someone I trust, someone who provided for me after my exile, who would. She is my maternal cousin, Meng Jia. It is to her that you will bow and address as Empress, for it is what I do. At this moment, I declare my rebellion against Zhou Li, the usurper. I fight in the name of Empress Jia and I will fight until I am successful or I am dead. Your Empress will address you, and I tell you to listen to her well.”

 

Hyukjae swung his eyes to the projection of Meng Jia. “People of the Empire, I am Meng Jia, and entrusted by my beloved cousin the heavy responsibility of the Mandate. I do not demand tribute from our suffering worlds to rule justly and fairly. There have been many miscarriages of justice and of honor, and I seek to correct that. My duty is to you, and if you have not heard of me before, I will work hard to make you certain that our cause is just and that I am the proper holder of the Mandate.”

 

“You are welcome to join us,” Zhou Mi said. “Previous bonds of servitude do not shackle you to false masters and you are welcome to show your abilities with us. There are many worlds in the Empire, and we are momentarily small in number, but we will provide you a way to contact us if you wish to join within the next _farn_.” Zhou Mi gestured and the man nodded, cutting the transmission.

 

“Thank you, cousin,” Zhou Mi said to the projection of Meng Jia still hanging in the air. “We will return to you quickly.”

 

She nodded. “Travel safely, all of you. I will greet your return joyously.” The image of her face faded away.

 

“You have performed your duty well,” Zhou Mi said to the man seated at the projection. “If you will move aside, please?”

 

The man bowed and scrambled out of the seat.

 

Zhou Mi looked at Hyukjae and smiled, waving him closer. “Help me destroy this. Leave nothing but slag and we will return to our ship promptly.”

 

“Shit, I'm all for that,” Hyukjae said, pulling out his weapon and seeing Amber and Donghae do the same. Song Qian walked by one of the rebels and grabbed his weapon as she passed. Flipping the safety off, Hyukjae sent shot after shot into the panels, seeing the delicate electronics fry and melt. Putting the safety back on, Hyukjae stared at Donghae, who looked both intent and wild. “We're leaving now, right?”

 

Donghae's blue eyes met his, and Hyukjae knew that getting through the next few minutes without starting to rip each other's clothes off would be difficult. Hyukjae also really wanted to rinse the residue of blood off him as well.

 

“Yes, we are,” Zhou Mi replied. “Liu Tao, we shall take our leave of you now. Do not forget our deal.”

 

Liu Tao bowed from the waist. “I will honor my promise to you in exchange for your help. As soon as I have secured the protection of these worlds by neutralizing Li Chen's flagship and garrisons, I will publicly join you and provide you all assistance in your rebellion. But no matter the status of these worlds, you are forever welcome to them for rest and protection.”

 

Zhou Mi bowed his head. “We thank you for your protection and willingness to join us. We will be in contact.”

 

“Of course,” Liu Tao replied.

 

Hyukjae nearly sprinted out, his body clamoring for the press of Donghae's skin against his, and the wait between them taking off and landing back on their ship that was parked on Liu Tao's property was frighteningly long. Glancing at the pilot's chairs as they landed, his lips turned down briefly. He wanted Donghae badly, but if it was needed, they could derail their libidos.

 

“Do not concern yourself,” Amber said, obviously responding to his overriding thought. “Song Qian and myself are well able to fly,” she assured.

 

“Both of you please go have sex,” Song Qian added, her lips curving upwards. “Your reactions to battle are well known to us, and I am in the present. We will fly, and it should not take us long to reach the station.”

 

“In addition, you both are generally far more pleasant after you do have sex,” Zhou Mi joked, a wide smile appearing on his face.

 

“All right, all right,” Hyukjae said with a roll of his eyes as Donghae giggled into his shoulder. Hyukjae grabbed Donghae's hand and they ran up into the ship, barely outrunning the sound of laughter following them.

 

Hyukjae gave Donghae a quick kiss, but pulled back from anything else. “I'm going to wash all this blood off me,” he told Donghae, who was breathing deeply and staring at him with solidly blue eyes.

 

Donghae gave him a slow, sexy grin and Hyukjae felt his blood rush right back down to his dick. “I will join you as soon as I have retrieved the lubricant.”

 

Hyukjae hummed happily as he walked to the shower and stripped off his borrowed clothes, letting them drop to the floor without a care. He turned the water on just as he felt the rumble of the engines starting beneath his feet, and he soaked himself down with the warm water. Grabbing the cleanser, he made sure to wash his chest, feeling inordinately cleaner as soon as Donghae wrapped dry arms around his waist. Hyukjae rolled his head back, smiling.

 

“Hi,” he said.

 

Donghae playfully growled at him, cuddling close.

 

“Offer is still open for you to fuck me.”

 

Donghae wrinkled his nose slightly, but smiled. “I am certain, Hyukjae,” he said as the glow intensified in his eyes.

 

Hyukjae turned around in Donghae's arms and fit their lips together as the ship shook a little and the warm water poured down on them. His hands slicked down Donghae's wet back, moaning a little in his throat as he eagerly grabbed the fleshy cheeks of Donghae's ass. When he pulled back from Donghae's intoxicating lips, he smiled slowly and trailed a finger across Donghae's sphincter, teasingly pressing against the sensitive skin just to have Donghae's nails dig into the skin of his arms.

 

Looking up and down Donghae's body, he felt a little bit of Donghae's wildness creep into him and he probably wasn't as gentle as he could have been in spinning Donghae around and pressing himself against the strong back. He kept a steady arm around Donghae's stomach and he gripped Donghae's chin, tilting his head back to rest on Hyukjae's shoulder. “Look at me,” he said, knowing it was a requirement for him being behind Donghae.

 

Donghae's blue eyes opened from where they had closed, and the fast hand that landed on Hyukjae's arm softened and dropped. Hyukjae grabbed one of Donghae's hands with his free hand and lifted it to lightly kiss and nip at the skin over his knuckles. “Hi gorgeous,” Hyukjae said, meeting Donghae's eyes.

 

Donghae smiled at him slowly and threaded their fingers together, keeping their palms pressed together. “Hi.”

 

“Know it's me?”

 

Donghae nodded. “Yes.”

 

“Good,” Hyukjae said as he dropped his head slightly to bite at the soft skin of Donghae's neck, loving the loud moan that left Donghae's throat. The water along Donghae's skin let Hyukjae rub his hands up and down Donghae's body in an erotic glide that left him whining slightly, his arms coming up to lodge his hands in Hyukjae's hair to give him access to almost his entire body. “I'm going to grab the lube,” he said as a brief warning before he bent to grab the container, keeping his skin against Donghae's the entire time that he was crouched over.

 

Soaking a couple of fingers in the extremely slippery substance – he still didn't know how it was made or even the chemical composition, but it was a damn better lube than anything on Earth since it killed anything that could get either of them sick – he nudged his fingers inside Donghae as he stood back upright. Setting his mouth back against Donghae's neck, he easily wrapped his hand around Donghae's dick, giving it slow, wet strokes and sent Donghae into sensory heaven.

 

Soft, submissive whimpers left Donghae's throat as Hyukjae slowly stretched him, keeping his teeth on Donghae's neck and alternating soft bites with harder sucking kisses. When three fingers moved smoothly within Donghae's body and the whimpers began sliding into moans, he gently withdrew his fingers, sliding a hand along Donghae's back. “One more time of the lube, go ahead and lean forward for me,” he said.

 

His hand only left Donghae's skin when he had to pour lube on the hand that had been around Donghae's dick – no matter what, some Earth habits would always remain – and smooth it onto his own. He slid his hands back up Donghae's legs and blessed the fact that Donghae was just a little shorter than he was as he was able to slide right into Donghae's body.

 

Donghae cried out, his back arching and he shuffled his feet a little further apart. Hyukjae leaned forward, bracing a hand on the wall and set his mouth back against Donghae's neck. “ _Hyukjae_ ,” Donghae whined, rolling his hips backwards.

 

Hyukjae thrust into Donghae as much as he could in their position, but compensated by stroking Donghae's dick in time with each thrust of his hips. As much as he wanted to tell Donghae how incredible he was, he couldn't risk lifting his teeth off Donghae's neck as it was the only thing keeping the domination fight out of his lover. He felt the muscles around his dick start to flutter and Donghae's moans were getting needier by the second, so he provided Donghae's wild side the claim it needed with a deep growl, a sharp thrust of his hips, and a firm stroke.

 

The scream of his name was deeply satisfying as Donghae came hard, the tight, wet heat around his dick making his head swim and the familiar heat shoot through his body. He called Donghae's name as he came, his hips finally slowing and his knees shaking in the aftermath. Slipping out of Donghae, he helped Donghae turn around and they leaned on each other for a few moments, not only to prop each other up, but also solidly reconnecting and reassuring each other that Hyukjae was blessedly alive after that close call of fighting for his life.

 

Hyukjae placed tiny, fluttering kisses across Donghae's cheekbone and rubbed their noses together. “You okay?” he finally asked.

 

Donghae hummed, tightening his arms briefly. “I am well,” he murmured into Hyukjae's shoulder, and Hyukjae felt the smile. “I am very happy that you are alive... I am also very marked and claimed,” he giggled.

 

Hyukjae laughed quietly, still smiling when Donghae opened his dark brown eyes. “I'm very glad that I'm alive too.” He placed a gentle kiss on one of the many marks that would start turning darker on Donghae's neck. “Did you get what you needed?”

 

Donghae nodded. “I did, thank you. My wildness needed to be taken hard and kept submissive for a claim. I was far too upset at not being able to warn you or Song Qian, and the fear of your death, plus the blood just made it...” Donghae looked around, floundering for a word.

 

“Really upsetting?” Hyukjae supplied.

 

“Yes, though that seems to be a mild term for what I felt. I needed you to destroy the fear, and you did.”

 

Hyukjae smiled. “And the only way to do it is to make you submit?”

 

“Yes, it seems to override my dominant thoughts and emotions,” Donghae explained.

 

“Oh! So it just wipes everything out for you and lets you concentrate more on the present moment?” Hyukjae asked as he grabbed the cleanser and poured some of the substance on both his body and Donghae's.

 

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Donghae murmured, his hands reaching out to lather up the cleanser on Hyukjae's body. Hyukjae gladly returned the favor, happily tracing angles and curves of Donghae's body that he knew so well. They rinsed off quickly before their hands sparked the desire back up from the embers, knowing that they could not spend the standards that they wished on each other's bodies. Hyukjae turned off the shower while Donghae grabbed the lube and they walked hand in hand to their room where they dried off and redressed.

 

They were still holding hands as they walked back onto the flight deck, and were greeted by Zhou Mi's smile.

 

“You both look far more refreshed and calm,” he said as they joined him near the projection.

 

“We are,” Donghae confirmed. “I am deeply satisfied that those who threatened to take Hyukjae and Song Qian away paid for it with their lives, and I am once again clear minded. You may go rest and refresh yourself if you desire.”

 

Zhou Mi shook his head slightly. “We are well, we would have dropped out if we were not. I am merely worried for the status of everyone on the station.”

 

“An understandable fear,” Donghae replied. “They should be safe and protected.”

 

“Yes, they should be,” Zhou Mi agreed. He pulled Hyukjae into a brief hug. “I am thankful that you survived.”

 

Hyukjae hugged the taller man back. “I am too,” he agreed. “So what exactly do we do as rebels against the Emperor?”

 

“Hopefully there is enough dissent and both I and my cousin have enough personal loyalty built that others rapidly join us so we will not have to risk many battles.”

 

“But we don't know until we reach the station, right?” Hyukjae asked as Donghae joined the hug.

 

“Correct.”

 

“So how much longer until we're there?”

 

“We will be arriving shortly as we took a more direct route than we normally do. Would you mind...”

 

Hyukjae grinned. “Not at all, thanks for covering for us.” Giving Donghae a kiss, he walked to the weapons chair and easily sat down. Checking over the readouts, he looked for any weird power drains or glitches that would signal major malfunctions, but once satisfied, he slowly ramped up the power for the weapons and shielding so it wouldn't directly impact their flight.

 

Sure enough, within about what felt to Hyukjae like ten minutes, Song Qian turned her head slightly. “We are arriving.”

 

Dropping out, Hyukjae scanned the immediate area for threats while Zhou Mi sent the station their identification.

 

“Welcome back,” Wang Fei greeted.

 

“Is all well?” Zhou Mi asked, and Hyukjae glanced over towards the projection.

 

“All is well, but we are getting contacted frequently from those that know us. We have many friends that wish to assist. Come and join us for a meal, I will inform you of what has occurred since your broadcast.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated


	14. the space of conflict

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for homophobic attitudes/statements.

Hyukjae blinked at the large holographic map of the Zhang Empire, then rubbed at his eyes and looked again to make sure that he was seeing things correctly. “I'm not seeing things, right?” he asked.

 

“I am as stunned as you are,” Meng Jia said quietly beside him. “This is beyond anything that we ever expected. I was anticipating that we would have to fight for several cycles to legitimize my rule... not two _farn_.”

 

Hyukjae whistled lowly. Well over half of the worlds in the Empire had already publicly given allegiance to them, and multiple systems were in open rebellion to overthrow their governments that were still maintaining loyalty to the Zhou patriarch. “I'm not going to complain if it keeps us alive.”

 

“I agree with that,” she replied. “Wang Fei's brother should be arriving shortly with his fleet, as well.”

 

Hyukjae shook his head. “This is too easy, it's making me nervous.”

 

“All of us are nervous at the possibility of a downturn in fortune,” Amber said as she walked around the projection. “But we have no option but to continue on this path.”

 

Hyukjae sighed and nodded. “Would he run?” he asked Meng Jia.

 

She shrugged. “He is not accustomed to plans not going his way. He may attempt to provoke Zhou Mi into trying to kill him as a final strike.”

 

“Either Song Qian or myself can take care of that issue since the twins can't. Neither one of us are related to him or beholden to him in any way,” Hyukjae returned, picking up on the immediate issue surrounding that possibility. “That way you two are removed from the allegations of killing your patriarch.” He looked over just in time to see Meng Jia chewing on her thumb, her eyebrows pulled together nervously. “Hey, you okay?”

 

She started, looking at him for a moment before she shook herself out of whatever thoughts she had been in. “Yes, I am well. Just... consumed with the worries about this title I accepted.”

 

“One step at a time,” Amber told her. “Change will not arrive quickly, but your rule will foster an atmosphere for change to happen at all.”

 

Hyukjae smiled proudly at her. He would always have the twins break things down in their minds and do one task at one time when they weren't having an easy time with their memories.

 

Meng Jia seemed to stand up straighter, her face relaxing. “You are correct, Amber. It will not be instantaneous as I wish, but it will happen. I likewise have trustworthy people for advice in correcting the path that the Empire is taking.”

 

“That's the important part,” Hyukjae said. “You've got this. You are the Empress that the Empire needs, and from what Zhou Mi told us, you're just as stubborn as he is and you'll make your vision of the Empire last.”

 

Her smile was bright. “Thank you for that.”

 

“Let's work hard to get you there,” Hyukjae said, pointing at the bright dot that represented Yangshi.

 

“When do you have to return to your planet?”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “They said to give them about a _li fan_ , and it takes a couple of _farn_ to get back there, so maybe in another _farn_ or two. It all depends on when we want to make our move on Yangshi.”

 

“We should travel together with the fleet,” Amber broke in, her eyes glowing. “Your people cannot see past the gas giants in your system, and I do not want to be trapped on the ship and unable to assist again or have us be ambushed by flagships. Empress Jia has promised to protect your system from undue influence.”

 

Hyukjae reached out and folded Amber's hand in his, knowing what was causing Amber stress. “You're right. The Empress will protect my people, and traveling with the fleet would be additional protection that we may need, especially if Zhou Li has sent more ships to Earth.”

 

“He most likely would not with so many planets in open rebellion against him, but your caution is well-founded. Let us leave the station with the fleet that is arriving,” Meng Jia agreed.

 

Hyukjae looked at Amber. “Want to blow this place up when we leave?”

 

Amber's shoulders sagged, her eyes closing. “Yes,” she finally said, her voice soft. “It is difficult being confronted with memories even though twin and I are attempting to move past them.”

 

“My brother will not have an issue with that logic,” Wang Fei said as she walked up to them, delicately stepping over the debris in her path. “Some memories are better left in the past.”

 

“Has he arrived?” Amber asked.

 

“Yes, his ship just dropped into the jump point and he made contact. As soon as we are aboard, we may begin on our journey,” she replied with a smile.

 

“Excellent. Let us depart.”

 

It didn't take them long to pilot their ships into the empty hangars, and they were met by Wang Xian, his senior officers, and much of the crew. As Meng Jia descended the ramp, dressed simply in black pants, a black shirt and her hair braided over a shoulder, everyone knelt to the floor.

 

“Rise,” she commanded, her voice strong. “We have much to do.”

 

Once shown onto the bridge, Hyukjae shuddered a little as he looked out of the transparent walls. He could remember all too well the fear of crashing into the spikes and his frantic measures to keep himself from being impaled. He felt a familiar, solid body against his, wrapping comforting arms around his waist. He relaxed into Donghae's embrace, reminding himself that he was alive.

 

“Empress, your commands?” Wang Xian asked politely.

 

Meng Jia glanced at Amber, Donghae, and Song Qian before pointing at the station. “Destroy that before we depart. Lee H..yek...jae will provide our temporary destination,” she said, stumbling over Hyukjae's name. “Did I pronounce it right?”

 

Hyukjae smiled. “It's close enough since your language doesn't have those sounds. Thank you for trying, Empress.”

 

“It took us almost two cycles before we were able to pronounce it correctly,” Zhou Mi commented as the weapons targeted and struck the station.

 

They were silent as they watched large pieces of the station peel off, large bursts of pressurized air escaping into the low pressure of space in a cloud of white gas. When the next burst of weapons hit, the gas ignited and turned into multiple shades of orange and red against the darkness. The station began sinking down into the deep brown cloud tops, multiple explosions opening more of the station to space. Hyukjae knew that once the station had sunk below the clouds, the gravity of the planet would begin ripping the station completely apart until it was scattered pieces adding to the mass of the planet itself, and hopefully taking some of the burden of memories with it.

 

He looked at Amber and Song Qian, both of them holding onto each other and he covered Donghae's hands around his waist.

 

“Thank you,” Amber whispered.

 

Meng Jia nodded her head.

 

Hyukjae took a deep breath and turned his head to give Donghae's cheek a kiss. “Let's get moving.” Donghae let him go, and Hyukjae went directly to the navigation station. He'd memorized Earth's galactic coordinates as soon as he'd seen them, allowing him to find his way back from anywhere. He mentally thanked whoever it was that had every ship in the Empire using the same system and input the coordinates for Earth, letting the computer pull up a map of jumps that flickered to life over the holographic projectors built into the floor. Their starting and ending points were brighter points, and the best guess for a route was a pulsing orange color.

 

Wang Xian's eyes were flickering over the route, his hands manipulating the projection to zoom in and out of certain points before adjusting the route. “The Fang's fleet is still loyal to Zhou Li, and it would be beneficial to avoid him,” he explained as he made further alterations.

 

“Is he aware of your support for Empress Jia?” Wang Fei asked.

 

“I'm sure the news has gotten to him. He does not know of our movements aside from our eventual arrival at Yangshi, but I feel it best to avoid his normal patrol area to prevent any loss before it is necessary.”

 

“Hyukjae, where are we dropping out?” Amber asked.

 

“We should drop out just past Neptune's orbit, which should prevent the fleet from being seen from any ground-based telescopes and from getting nailed by anything in the Kuiper Belt, or alternatively it's far enough out to stay hidden from a fleet,” Hyukjae replied. “We can take our ship in after we make contact.”

 

Wang Xian tilted his head, confusion all over his features. “Why not just arrive closer?”

 

“The majority of my people are unaware that we aren't alone in the universe,” he explained as he walked over to the projection.

 

“Then how are you here?”

 

“Accident with a wormhole generator shot me across the galaxy with no control and nearly impaled me on the deck spikes of the _Victorious Rycan_. We found our way to my home system in another accident.”

 

“That was you?” one of the officers asked in the rapidly spreading silence.

 

“Hey, it was a total accident. I popped out of the wormhole spinning with only this much space between my ship and one of those damn spikes,” Hyukjae protested while gesturing between himself and the navigation area he had just left to indicate the distance. “I tried to avoid it, only to get the entire back end of my ship sheared off by another one for my trouble. Totally not my fault that the engines impacted on the flight deck after the spike ripped it off.”

 

“It was a random accident that no one could have predicted or prepared for,” Zhou Mi interrupted, his voice calm and soothing. “Having seen the repairs he has had to conduct on _Pioneer_ , it occurred the way he said.”

 

“I have pardoned all of them for any so-called crimes they may have committed while attempting to survive without assistance, as we are all aware of how difficult it can be, as well as any accidents that were claimed as crimes. We will stay in the position you indicated while you negotiate for the goods you were promised,” Meng Jia said in what Hyukjae was about to start calling her Empress voice. “I swore to protect your system and it shall be done either by preserving their innocence or by forcing Zhou Li's ships away.”

 

Hyukjae inclined his head. “We ready to go?”

 

“Of course. I will transmit the path to the other ships and we will depart.”

 

As they neared Earth, Hyukjae's nerves grew about what they could potentially find, and he'd taken to working out his nerves with anyone willing to spar with him in the expansive gym Wang Xian had invited them to use while their ship was checked out and repaired under Song Qian's supervision.

 

He waved his hand in front of his sweaty face, trying to cool himself down as they lingered at the last jump point not far from Earth for the entire fleet to travel together. Ever since he'd been tortured, he had to carefully watch and stop exerting himself when he started feeling the beginnings of heat exhaustion since a good chunk of his back didn't sweat from the scarring. Donghae was seated nearby, having already gotten Hyukjae a cool cloth and some water, parts of his now-short hair spiked up from his fingers while other strands stuck to his face. While Hyukjae would miss the way he could tug on Donghae's hair during sex, his shorter hair made more tactical sense, which was why all of them, save for Song Qian, had immediately taken time to get their hair cut.

 

“Brother, may we continue training?” Kekoa, the boy from group Twenty-three, asked. He'd chosen his name almost directly from Samuel's mind, much to everyone's surprise, and Hyukjae doubted that he'd forget Samuel's look of surprise. His sisters were still running laps to try and work out some of their energy while he stayed beside Donghae and Hyukjae.

 

“We will continue after we have arrived within Hyukjae's home system. Run after your sisters and clean yourselves to appear next to the Empress,” Donghae replied.

 

“Yes, Brother,” Kekoa replied with a wide smile before running after his sisters.

 

Hyukjae blew out his breath. “We need to do that too.”

 

“It can wait until you have cooled down.”

 

Hyukjae leaned over to give Donghae a kiss. “I'm fine, the headache's mostly gone now.”

 

Donghae kissed him again before standing and pulling Hyukjae up as well. “Let us shower and we will return to the flight deck with the others.”

 

They quickly aired off, dressing in their preferred dark clothing, and though Hyukjae still had some residual dizziness and the occasional throb from his head, he felt well enough to stand for the time it would take to get to Earth. Song Qian was already on the flight deck in her normal clothing, with her hair held up with several hair pins.

 

“Hey,” Hyukjae greeted. “Where's everyone?”

 

“Amber is still napping, and the others will join us soon. Are you well?” she asked, looking him over.

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “I over exerted myself again. I stopped as soon as I felt the headache, though.”

 

Her fingers immediately went to the pulse on his neck while her other hand pressed against his forehead. “You are still warm and heartbeat is higher than normal,” she replied. “What other symptoms?”

 

“I'm still a little dizzy, but it's more of a transient thing and it's going away rapidly,” he assured. “Donghae got a cool cloth on my back almost immediately and I stopped and drank water.”

 

Her mouth was still turned down a little, but she nodded and dropped her hands.

 

“You are well?” Wang Xian asked, tugging on his uniform jacket to straighten it as he walked up, apparently having heard the last part of Hyukjae's sentence.

 

“Slight heat exhaustion, he is recovering rapidly,” Song Qian said, the authority in her voice stopping any further inquiry.

 

Everyone drifted onto the flight deck, Meng Jia surrounded by Kekoa and his sisters, along with a detachment of the older adults. Amber was the last to arrive after they had started the jump towards Earth, her hair still mussed from sleep. She immediately hugged Hyukjae, leaning into him and sniffing slightly.

 

“You should go back to sleep,” he chided softly, his fingers smoothing out the shorter pieces of her hair and securing the longer strands in her hair clip.

 

She grunted her disapproval of that plan. “I will be with you upon the return to your planet. I am becoming more alert.”

 

Donghae hugged him from behind and eventually both Song Qian and Zhou Mi had joined in on the group hug, all of them being soothed by the contact and blatantly ignoring the questioning looks. He looked up as Zhou Mi petted his hair.

 

“You are well?”

 

“Yeah, just worried and nervous. I'm hoping for the best and that Earth is still officially undiscovered, but I keep going around and around with all the what ifs.”

 

The lights dimmed briefly and Hyukjae looked around.

 

“Shields on, stealthing enabled,” the security officer reported. “We are arriving.”

 

“Confirmed. Initiate scan of... which planet?” Wang Xian asked Hyukjae.

 

“Third one from the sun,” Hyukjae replied, keeping a close watch on the projection that filled in images of the planets he knew well. Breaking away from the hug, he touched the planets on the projection. “Neptune,” he named as he touched the bright blue planet, then moved inward, naming all of the planets up to Mars. He smiled at Saturn's rings tilted beautifully and the jumble of lines forming around Jupiter to indicate moon orbits. “Earth,” he said, expanding the visual of the planet.

 

Everything looked as it should look from space, but Hyukjae felt his stomach sink as the undeniable outline of a Zhang flagship orbited into view and the battle alarm sounded. He felt long arms circle his chest, but he couldn't stop staring at the flagship, tears coming to his eyes.

 

“Breathe,” Zhou Mi said sharply into his ear. He took a breath in, suddenly realizing that the shock and dread had made him stop breathing for a moment. “It is _not_ your fault that your system was discovered,” he continued.

 

“I wanted to stay to see them...” Hyukjae whispered, the guilt crashing over him.

 

“We could not be aware of the probe until we had a reason to stay somewhere,” Zhou Mi pointed out, and Hyukjae's ears gradually tuned into the barked, terse orders that occurred within a battle. Within two deep breaths, he had shunted the guilt and fear, probably only enough for it to reappear in his nightmares. Turning his head, he watched the weapons from the ships around Earth fire at them. The sight of the return hits being scattered across shielding reminded him of the unprotected nature of the ISS, and he hoped that the astronauts there had been brought back down to Earth after they'd left. As the rest of the forty ships of Wang Xian's fleet appeared, the flagship and its two support ships immediately dove out of the orbital plane and jumped out of the system.

 

“Security, continue to scan,” Wang Xian ordered.

 

“Yes sir. Scans are continuing and indicate that there are no remnants in flight. There are several ships on the surface.”

 

“Dispatch the attackers to render those ships inert and find the central administrative area.”

 

“There probably isn't one,” Hyukjae said hoarsely, finally forcing words past his throat.

 

“Why not?” Wang Xian asked.

 

“We've never had a unified world government. When we left, there were almost two hundred independent nation-states that only had loose alliances and a representative at the non-governmental United Nations.”

 

“Sir, we're picking up a transmission from the surface, audio only.”

 

Wang Xian nodded. “Put it through.”

 

“...hope like hell this thing still fucking works. Right now I'm operating on the policy that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so who are you?”

 

“Fleet Commander Wang Xian, under the command of the true holder of the Mandate, Empress Jia. Who am I addressing?”

 

“Admiral Don Thorn, United... Earth Navy, I guess.”

 

“Admiral!” Hyukjae said, his eyes widening.

 

“Commander Lee, is that you?”

 

Hyukjae felt like he could breathe for a second. “Yes, Admiral.”

 

“Well, that's the first piece of good news we've had in a few weeks. Come on down to New Mexico to pick us up, and stop over at... shit how the fuck do you pronounce that... Song Nam?”

 

“Seongnam,” Hyukjae corrected almost automatically, his mind already pulling up the location.

 

“Yeah there. Grab Park Seungchul, he's got your mom and sister with him there.”

 

“My dad?” Hyukjae asked, the worry shooting through him, and he was pretty certain that only Zhou Mi was holding him upright.

 

The admiral paused for a long moment. “We don't know. From what Park has managed to communicate, he probably got caught up in one of the major roundups that happened in Seoul. We haven't located a holding camp yet, but with half of the comm satellites being dropped from existence, we're working on sporadic intel.”

 

“We will be arriving shortly and locking onto your signal to arrive in the correct location,” Zhou Mi replied.

 

“Roger, see you then.”

 

“Roger?” Zhou Mi echoed as the audio cut out.

 

“It's an acknowledgment of what you said,” Hyukjae explained numbly.

 

He saw Donghae come towards him, eyes blue and glowing, but his hands were gentle as they cupped Hyukjae's face. Leaning forward, he buried his head into Donghae's neck and curled his arms around the strong shoulders, feeling Zhou Mi's long arms drop from around his waist to be replaced by Donghae's. He wanted all of this to be a bad dream, to just wake up in Donghae's arms, but when he opened his eyes again, everything was as it had been when he closed them. “We are here,” Donghae whispered.

 

“Thank you,” he replied, his thoughts skipping for a moment and then settling down to where he could think again.

 

“I will go with you,” Meng Jia said, waving down objections. “This world has been deeply shaken from the discovery of not being alone. We will assist them with supplies and meet quickly with officials to determine the best path to take. I am not Zhou Li and I will not automatically assume that I know the correct answer for all worlds under my rule.”

 

Wang Fei was smiling proudly while her brother shook his head. “As you command, Empress,” he murmured. “I will send along a detachment to assist your guards. Your guards may inspect each one chosen while we load food cubes and means for cleaning water in both cargo ships.”

 

Hyukjae felt his headache coming back from the stress, but he forced himself to try and ignore it as much as possible so he could fly one of the ships, which had been separated. As he went through the normal pre-flight warm up sequence, he felt Song Qian's hands rubbing soothingly against his neck to reduce the pain. He would have to do the main piloting, as he would lead Zhou Mi and Amber in the other ship to Korea and then to wherever the admiral had established himself. Donghae brought him more water before dropping into the second piloting chair, and Hyukjae forced himself to drink, knowing that it would help. He closed his eyes and relaxed into Song Qian's talented hands until a beep from the console indicated that the cargo doors were sealed. Tapping a few buttons, he double checked that all access ports were closed and sealed as well.

 

“Amber?” he asked into the console.

 

“Here.”

 

“We're sealed up and ready.”

 

“Confirmed. We are likewise ready to depart.”

 

“All right, follow us down.” Hyukjae piloted the ship up off the floor and out of the hangar, Earth already looming large. The ship shook as they dropped into the atmosphere and Hyukjae kept the ship level and steady as he glanced up at the large screen. They were headed west over South America, and Hyukjae adjusted the course for a northwest path to get them to Korea. He kept an eye on their trajectory, the screen projecting nothing but dark ocean below them as they crossed the Pacific. As islands began appearing, he checked the readout map, matching the quick views of land with the remembered outline of the Philippines from maps.

 

Jeju flew by, and he started slowing them down, guessing they could be at Seongnam within thirty seconds. It wasn't difficult finding the military base, since it was the only thing in the immediate area that was running visible electricity. As he settled the ship down for landing, he noticed the rapidly forming line of military personnel with guns aimed.

 

“Stay here,” Hyukjae said, levering himself up, feeling his head throb for a second before the pain settled back down. “I'll calm them down. Just be ready to take off.”

 

Donghae frowned and caught Hyukjae's hand as he passed by.

 

“I'll be careful, I promise. We didn't live through all of that crap just for some of my trigger-happy people to take me away from you,” he promised, stealing a kiss from Donghae's lips before headed down to the small cargo hold and cracking the seal.

 

“Identify yourself and come out with your hands raised!” he heard as soon as the ramp had lowered.

 

Sighing, he held up his hands and walked down the ramp just enough for the light to hit his face. “Commander Lee Hyukjae,” he announced.

 

“At ease,” a familiar voice snapped out. “Friendly. About time you showed your sorry face back here,” Seungchul greeted, letting his machine gun fall to his side. “Go get Kang Deokbon and Lee Sora,” he ordered a private, who scampered off inside the base.

 

“Got a little hung up overthrowing governments and such,” Hyukjae replied shrugging. He relaxed as the last gun was finally lowered and let his hands drop to his sides.

 

“How did you get downside?” Seungchul asked.

 

“Well, you remember Wang Fei?”

 

Seungchul paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, we dropped some of the kids off with her, since she's got some kind of history with Zhou Mi.”

 

“Her brother is a Fleet Commander, and we have about forty capital ships in orbit now. The flagship that was in orbit is long gone.”

 

“Hyukjae!”

 

Hyukjae breathed out and walked down the ramp a little more to gather his mother and sister into a hug as they ran out towards him. Guilt and relief boiled back up within him. “I'm sorry,” he mumbled for their hearing only.

 

“Baby,” Deokbon soothed, patting his face. “Don't blame yourself. You did as much as you could to make sure that the planet was safe.”

 

“But... But Dad's missing and...”

 

Deokbon shushed him, tears coming to her eyes. “I have faith that he's alive, along with many others. We've had a terrible shock, that's all.”

 

“Do you have a plan?” Seungchul asked as he strolled up.

 

Hyukjae took a deep breath. “For Earth? No. I'm lost on that and I'm leaving it all with the Empress to deal with. For our rebellion, yes. We're going for Yangshi. Over half of the worlds have already declared allegiance to Empress Jia, and several more are in open revolt to overthrow their governments that are remaining loyal to Zhou Li.”

 

“You know I want in on that, right?”

 

“I figured you would, along with a lot of others, but there's plenty of stuff down here to work out and even with forty ships, there's no way we could possibly fit every single solder from every nation on Earth. If we take you, we have to take everyone.”

 

“Nah, just me and my teams. Look, you're planning a ground assault on what I'm guessing is a heavily defended world, and that's what we do, we're trained for this.”

 

“I think with the projectile weapons that Park Seungchul has access to that it could be argued that he would have an integral part in battle,” Donghae said as he walked down the ramp.

 

Seungchul frantically waved everyone to move their guns down. “ _At ease_ ,” he barked. “Fuck. Come on Hyukjae, we're twitchy and going stir crazy here. If this is a way to help out Earth in whatever comes next, we're in.”

 

“It could be limited to only those with training similar to Park Seungchul and Samuel Latu,” Donghae pointed out. “And there are many worlds that are still loyal to Zhou Li, they could be useful there.”

 

Hyukjae sighed. “Yeah, I guess. What's up?”

 

“We received a transmission from twin, several attackers have located holding camps for tribute. Perhaps Father is located in one of them. They will visit each location, as only the Empress would be able to release them from tribute status, and conduct a search for Lee Kanghun before we meet with the admiral.”

 

Hyukjae looked around and rubbed at the back of his neck for a moment. “Grab your gear and your teams. We'll transport you, but it's someone else's decision to send you out,” he told Seungchul.

 

Seungchul nodded. “We can live with that. We'll be ready in less than an hour, which is probably enough time for them to finish up what they're doing.”

 

“Make sure you pack enough guns,” Hyukjae teased.

 

“Oh yeah, we'll pack everything and bring presents for all of you, too,” Seungchul called out as he jogged away.

 

Donghae's lips curved as Deokbon and Sora hugged him and he flushed, ducking his head shyly when Deokbon fussed over him.

 

“Mom, noona, do you want to stay here?” Hyukjae asked as they pulled back. _Where it's safe_ , he wanted to add, but he would ask and let them make their own decisions.

 

“I'm going,” Sora said. “If there's one thing I've found out over the past month is that the safest place in the universe is most likely right behind you.”

 

“We've been through one time in our lives where we thought you were dead and those were the hardest years I've ever had. We'll go with you. Whatever happens, we're going to be with you,” his mother added.

 

Hyukjae nodded, knowing the decision was made. “All right. Go ahead and get your stuff and come aboard.”

 

As his mother and sister dashed back inside the base, he sighed heavily. Donghae tugged him back up the ramp to where they were thrown into shadows once more and hugged him. “That must have been difficult to agree to.”

 

Hyukjae breathed out and tugged Donghae close. “It was. All I've wanted is my family to be safe.”

 

He caught the brief glow in Donghae's eyes before he felt the brush of Donghae's lips against his own. Stifling a moan, he wrapped his arms around Donghae's neck again as their mouths opened easily to deepen their kiss. Hyukjae felt his body relax almost automatically, recognizing the comfort, safety, and support that Donghae provided him. Donghae would know instantly if someone was coming and Hyukjae could let his mind float freely, mostly consumed with how much he loved Donghae. He thought he heard footsteps on the ramp over the pounding of his heart in his ears, but Donghae didn't stop kissing him, and he let the thought go.

 

“Are you two making out up there?”

 

The shout finally did separate their lips, and Hyukjae looked down the ramp. “What if we are?” he called back to Seungchul.

 

“Just tell me your clothes are still on so we can get moving.”

 

Donghae smiled and pecked him softly on the lips before sliding away, most likely on his way back to the flight deck. Hyukjae sighed softly, wishing that he had enough light to blatantly stare at Donghae's ass as he walked away, but turned back to the ramp.

 

“We do have some propriety. Come on up, stow your gear, I'm headed back to the flight deck.”

 

“Hey do you have more of those translator bugs?” Seungchul asked as he hopped up the ramp.

 

“Yeah, I'll get some once we land.”

 

Hyukjae walked back up to the flight deck, confident that Seungchul could control the people he was bringing and blinked curiously at his mother and Sora, who were already on the flight deck. Song Qian relinquished his seat easily, placing herself almost delicately in the weapons chair. “Did you hear all of that?” he asked her.

 

“Yes, I am prepared for the additional people. Thank you for thinking of my comfort,” Song Qian replied. “I will get the translators for our new visitors while you fly to our next destination.”

 

“Thanks,” he called as she got up and walked out of the flight deck.

 

“Okay how do you work this?” Sora asked as she sat down in the weapons chair.

 

Hyukjae looked back at her, his eyes widening, facing the uncomfortable feeling that Sora had changed in the time since he'd last seen her.

 

Sora looked back at him, her lips curving understandably. “That's how I felt with you when you shoved those weapons in my hand, but I think I understand the decisions that you've made now more than I did then. It's been a long month, Hyukjae, and since I made the decision to follow directly behind you, I'm not going to be useless around here.”

 

“Lean back,” Donghae instructed. “Information will move rapidly across your vision.”

 

Sora leaned back in the chair, her eyes widening and mouth dropping open.

 

“Don't try to read everything, noona,” Hyukjae jumped in, knowing that Sora also had issues with motion sickness. “Move your eyes around so you're kind of unfocused and unless something really stands out, don't stare at it too long.”

 

Sora took a few deep breaths as she looked around, then leaned forward. “Okay, that's going to take some getting used to,” she said as she rubbed her eyes.

 

“Yeah, it took me a while too, but our eyes are actually really suited for it since it's in green for us,” Hyukjae sympathized. “We see more shades on that than a lot of others, so we see things pop up much faster. But we shouldn't need the weapons down here.”

 

Sora continued rubbing her eyes, and Hyukjae checked the readouts, making sure the ship was still ready to fly as soon as they loaded up all of their cargo. He was starting to get really bored and was about to just start making out with Donghae again, even with his family in the room, when Song Qian and Seungchul appeared on the flight deck, leading two others, dressed in military fatigues.

 

“We're loaded and ready.”

 

“Finally,” Hyukjae breathed, retracting the ramp and sealing the exterior of the ship as Song Qian came to stand next to him and continued rubbing his neck.

 

“Turn on the lights in there, will you? Everyone else is still in the cargo hold to organize our stuff,” Seungchul explained.

 

Donghae's fingers danced across a panel between them. “It is done.” Hyukjae saw Donghae pause and look back at one of the people that had followed Seungchul in. “That assumption is not correct,” he said flatly, the anger flashing across his face.

 

“Whatever you're thinking, stop, unless you want your ass handed to you. Donghae and his twin Amber are mildly telepathic and can pick up your dominant thoughts without trying,” Seungchul warned.

 

“What's up?” Hyukjae whispered, knowing Donghae would hear him even almost a meter away. Donghae glanced at him, his eyes blue and glowing and his eyebrows furrowed. He glanced at Song Qian quickly, then back to Hyukjae. “Oh, he thought me and Song Qian were in a relationship?” Donghae nodded once. Hyukjae sighed. “Try to ignore him,” he said, shaking his head and mind filled with regret.

 

“I do not understand your people's willful assumptions to make things appear comfortable to their own view,” Donghae said lowly.

 

“I don't either.”

 

“You okay?” Seungchul asked as he came closer, and Hyukjae noticed the glances between him and Song Qian.

 

“Yeah, I’ve got a headache, but I'm the one who knows which way to go so I have to fly,” Hyukjae replied as the ship continued to gain altitude. He looked back over his shoulder. “Stay there and don't fuck with us while we're flying unless you want to die a pretty horrible death.”

 

Hyukjae started the scans for the signal that came from the communicator with the admiral, and once it was locked on, he took off towards it, knowing that Amber and Zhou Mi would be with them as soon as they were done.

 

They'd crossed the Pacific within a couple of minutes and only began slowing down when they came towards what looked like another military base. “Identify yourselves,” Hyukjae heard over the console.

 

“Commander Lee Hyukjae. We were contacted by Admiral Thorn to meet him here.”

 

“What?” the voice asked, and then there was discussion just out of range before a more familiar voice sounded out. “Commander, go ahead and land on any piece of ground you can find that size.”

 

“Copy, admiral.”

 

Hyukjae found the helipad and figured it was large enough to accommodate the ship. Once the ship had gently set down, he huffed out a breath and stood. “Hopefully I don't have to do this again; I hate having guns pointed at me.”

 

Donghae glanced up at him with a droll look, letting Hyukjae know that he wasn't overly fond of Hyukjae having guns pointed at him either. Hyukjae smiled and caught Donghae's hand, letting their skin slide as he walked towards the door. He smirked as he caught the sudden looks between him and Donghae.

 

“ _That_ assumption is correct,” Hyukjae needled as he left the flight deck, feeling his irritation level jump at the disgusted look he caught.

 

Conversation quieted as Hyukjae stomped through the small cargo hold as the ramp lowered. To his surprise, Samuel was there and waiting with his bag sitting by his feet and though there were soldiers lined up, they didn't have their weapons pointed at him.

 

“Who pissed you off?” Samuel asked as soon as the ramp landed on the ground, his eyes shielded by his hand.

 

“Someone who will be dead if they keep pissing Donghae off,” Hyukjae answered shortly.

 

Samuel grimaced. “No offense, but he's fucking scary even before his eyes start glowing. I'll go up and try to save the idiot from getting their brains splattered while we're waiting on everyone.”

 

“Well I'm hoping Seungchul will have enough sense to get them off the flight deck before that happens. Do you have everything?”

 

“Everything I took with me out, yeah. We haven't gotten access to an armory or anything, since we've pretty much been locked up in quarantine or just plain stuck out here and the folks here aren't too friendly. If we stop off in Virginia, I'll be able to get stuff, but it looks like you've gotten plenty of goodies already.”

 

“We can always use more,” Hyukjae replied, feeling his lips twitch up. “And since Seungchul already talked a few of the special forces teams on board, I have to extend the same offer to you, but like I told him, we're just transporting. It'll be someone else who gives you a go.”

 

Samuel smiled widely, only to have it drop off at the raised voices coming closer.

 

“Yeah well not everyone in the universe is straight. They get the job done, and that's all I care about.”

 

Hyukjae sighed, closing his eyes in a desperate bid to gain some measure of control and to try and shove the still-present headache away.

 

“What job? Being bent over and screwed like fucking useless housewives?”

 

The silence spreading through the cargo hold was almost more oppressive than the insults.

 

“You can either fucking suck it up and learn to work with all different types of people, or get the fuck off the ship. If there's one thing I learned out there it's that assholes like you only exist here,” Seungchul roared as he followed the man who was upsetting Donghae into the hold.

 

“I'll have you brought up on insubordination Park–”

 

“Go right ahead! I'm rather have them on my team and watching my back than you!”

 

Samuel unzipped his bag and pulled out his sidearm, then silently held it out towards Hyukjae. Hyukjae shook his head, folding his arms across his chest.

 

“The door is right there,” Hyukjae said into the silence. “Either control your thoughts and your hatred for us or get out. I'm sure you can find your way back to Korea.”

 

The man looked around, dumbfounded, and not seeing any overt support, stomped towards the door after grabbing his bag. “Let's go men,” he ordered.

 

Hyukjae kept his face neutral as the man stopped at the doorway and looked back. No one in the cargo hold was moving, but several people were looking between Seungchul and Hyukjae, confusion all over their faces.

 

The man sneered. “Fucking pansies,” he muttered as he stomped down the ramp.

 

“If any one of you have a fucking issue with two people of the same sex in a relationship, you can follow his example, even if you don't say a damn thing. Hyukjae's partner is telepathic and can pick you out in an instant, and you can fucking believe that I'll let him and his twin deal with your ass,” Seungchul bit out, addressing the rest of the people almost frozen in place, and Hyukjae could almost see him vibrating with anger. His shoulders relaxed, feeling comforted. Being confronted with homophobia again after so long without it left a sour feeling deep in his stomach, but Samuel's silent, violent support and Seungchul's anger helped buoy him.

 

“Thanks,” he said, smiling at Seungchul.

 

Seungchul growled inarticulately, but Hyukjae could tell it wasn't directed at him. “I'd rather have both of you in a fight than five hundred assholes like him. Sorry, I didn't know he was such a homophobe. You shouldn't have to deal with that shit, you've already got enough on your plate.” He took a deep breath and blew it out sharply. “Hi Sam.”

 

Samuel grinned. “Hey Chullie, nice to see you're in working order instead of just hearing that you are.” The two clasped their hands and came in for a back-slapping hug.

 

“You remember how to work the intercom, yeah?” Hyukjae asked, rubbing at the back of his neck.

 

“Yeah,” Seungchul answered. “You going to head back up?”

 

Hyukjae sighed. “Yeah. Headache's coming back.”

 

“Migraine?” Samuel asked, suddenly speaking quieter.

 

“No, I gave myself heat exhaustion and the headache is always the last thing that lingers.”

 

“How did you do that?”

 

Hyukjae raised his eyebrows. “A lot of my back doesn't sweat...?”

 

“Oh, right. Forgot for a second.”

 

Hyukjae held it together through the cargo hold, feeling the stares following him, until he was in the lift where he crouched down, covering his head with his hands and tried to force the tears back. No matter how many times he'd been confronted with homophobia before, it would always hurt that people hurled insults and hatred at him just because he loved or was attracted to someone that didn't fit with their worldview. As the lift slowed to a stop, he stood back up, swaying a little and rubbed the few tears that did escape off his cheeks. The doors opened, his mother was waiting for him on the other side and she held her arms out. He buried himself into her warm embrace and let her hands soothe the hurt, just as she had always done.

 

He only pulled back when he felt steadier, his headache starting to fade back into a dull throb.

 

“Are you okay baby?” she cooed.

 

“Yeah, just... disappointed more than anything, I think.”

 

She patted his cheeks softly. “Hopefully there will be fewer and fewer of them the more we know about the world we're now in. I wish I could change their minds for you.”

 

Hyukjae smiled and pressed her hands into his cheeks. “But thank you for telling me the truth.”

 

She tugged him back onto the flight deck and instead of reclaiming the pilot chair from Song Qian, he sat down on Donghae's lap and let the low growls vibrate into his body. Donghae kissed him softly, both of them taking solace in each other and ignoring the other military officer, who was busy being stared at threateningly by Sora.

 

“Did he leave?” Donghae asked, his eyes still blue and glowing.

 

“Yeah,” Hyukjae confirmed. “Stomped out like a petulant child. He'll probably be stuck here for a while, I don't think the people here got translators yet, and I'm pretty sure none of them speak Korean.”

 

Donghae snorted, the glow starting to fade from his eyes. “Good, he would have been most unpleasant to work with.”

 

“I'll have to agree with that,” Hyukjae murmured before kissing Donghae again, uncaring of who saw them, because he just wanted a good few minutes kissing the man he loved before they were off and moving again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews and kudos are appreciated.


	15. the space around new york

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no warnings aside from dark humor and mentions of homophobia

“Heard you have a headache.”

 

Hyukjae looked up, wincing a little when his head throbbed. He’d finally moved off Donghae’s lap when Seungchul had said that everyone was on board, but told him not to take off until the admiral was on the flight deck. “Hey Doc,” he greeted. “And yes I do.”

 

“Have you taken anything for it?” Zoe Vasconcelos’s hair was still in a bun with the hairpin shoved through it, and the bright blue jewels hanging off it clinked against her shoulder as she turned her head.

 

“Nothing we have works. The immune system stuff works, but the only pain relievers that work on me are the ones that knock me out,” he explained.

 

“Are you allergic to ibuprofen?” she asked while digging in her bag.

 

“No… oh, right.” Hyukjae sighed, irritated at himself for not remembering that they were literally on Earth and there was suddenly access to medications that would work with his body. “Please tell me you have some?”

 

“Here,” she said, pulling out a bottle from her bag and shaking two pills into his open hand.

 

Hyukjae was desperate enough that he didn’t bother getting more water, just popped the pills into his mouth and swallowed them. He worked up a little saliva and swallowed that too to make sure that the pills wouldn’t try to come back up. “Thanks.”

 

She patted his shoulder. “I’m going to chat with Song Qian and see what your medical facility needs to get stocked with for you on short notice.”

 

“Medication?” Donghae asked.

 

Hyukjae nodded. “The headache should be gone soon, thankfully.”

 

Donghae’s lips curved. “Good.” The panel between them beeped a few times and Donghae reached over to tap on it. “Yes twin?”

 

“We have located Father,” Amber said, her voice excited and happy. “He is well and with us now.”

 

Hyukjae felt the relief go through him, and he leaned over the panel, running his fingers through his hair in relief. He hadn’t prayed in years, but the words of thanks immediately appeared in his mind and he muttered them quietly before raising his head.

 

“We will meet with you shortly,” Donghae said, a smile curving his lips. “Please tell Father that we are most relieved that he is well.”

 

“I will. We are going to the… Ew Inn?”

 

“United Nations,” Hyukjae corrected. “Zhou Mi probably remembers where it’s at, but why are you going there?”

 

“We received a transmission from Wang Xian, who was contacted by this United Nations. They are apparently acting as a unified government and wish to meet to negotiate.”

 

Hyukjae’s eyebrows arched. “Okay, we’ll meet you there.” He didn’t have any hope of a cooperative government staying around, but he’d at least show up and see what was going on.

 

“Confirmed.”

 

“Admiral on deck,” Admiral Thorn said from behind Hyukjae, his voice rife with amusement.

 

Hyukjae turned his head and smiled. “You’ll have to forgive me for not snapping to attention. We’re ready to go if you’re steady on your feet.”

 

The admiral limped over to the projection table and leaned heavily against it. Hyukjae wondered what happened to his cane, but turned his attention back to the panels. “Go for it, Commander. Where are we headed?”

 

“The UN,” Hyukjae replied shortly, his attention being swallowed by the intricate task of getting the ship airborne. The ship shook briefly as they gained altitude, and Hyukjae landed at the UN buildings in less than two minutes. He saw that Amber and Zhou Mi hadn’t arrived, but there was security already lining up. He sighed irritably and shook his head. Surprisingly, it didn’t throb with the movement, and he didn’t know if it was a placebo effect or his body reacted quickly to the ibuprofen since it had been so long since he’d last had it.

 

“I’m getting really sick of having weapons pointed at me today,” he grumbled as he locked the panels and stood up after having initiated the process of lowering the ramp.

 

“Wait,” Donghae said, his fingers flying over his panel. “I am going with you.”

 

They met up with Samuel and Seungchul in the cargo hold, and Hyukjae could feel the growing agitation in Donghae’s posture and demeanor as they walked through the mostly silent hold. Samuel’s eyebrows were making a valiant attempt in meeting his hairline as the deep growls started.

 

Seungchul just sighed heavily. “I told them that they were on their own,” he said to Donghae.

 

Donghae looked around. “Why is it so important to know who is being penetrated?” he asked loudly. “Why is that the question? If it is that utterly important to know, the answer relates exactly to how much time we have allotted to ourselves,” he growled as he started to move towards the open ramp.

 

Hyukjae felt his cheeks burning, but reached out and grabbed Donghae’s hand. “We’re going to go identify ourselves to the people lining up and pointing guns at us.”

 

“Um, here’s a better idea, Donghae why don’t you stay here and I’ll go with Hyukjae down the ramp. I promise I’ll bring him back unhurt, okay?” Samuel said quickly, his voice cajoling. A large hand landed on Hyukjae’s shoulder and tugged him along. “I don’t want them freaking out because your eyes are doing the glowing thing and you look like you’re ready to destroy the planet. We’ll go get them calmed down and be right back.”

 

“Yeah that’s a really good idea,” Seungchul replied, patting Donghae on the shoulder. “We’ll be right by the door to provide cover.”

 

Hyukjae knew he was still red in the face, but the quick way Samuel and Seungchul were talking provided him a good amount of comedic value, and he was hard pressed to keep from laughing when Samuel started calling out random small talk as he and Hyukjae walked down the ramp before coming to a halt and introducing them.

 

“What is your business here?”

 

“We’re here to… wait, why are we here again?” Samuel asked.

 

“The UN contacted Wang Xian, Fleet Commander of the forty ships in orbit and indicated a desire to negotiate Earth’s position within the Zhang Empire under Empress Jia,” Hyukjae supplied, assuming everyone at the UN had gotten translator bugs. “She should be arriving soon after rescuing my father from a tribute camp.”

 

“Weapons down,” one of the officers said, and Hyukjae breathed a little easier once the guns had been lowered. “Is this all of your delegation?”

 

Hyukjae shook his head. “There’s another ship coming.” He looked up as he heard the upper atmosphere sonic boom as smiled. “They’re here now.”

 

“Hyukjae?" Seungchul called down from the top of the ramp. “Everything good?”

 

Hyukjae turned his head slightly. “Yeah, it’s fine. Amber’s coming in for landing now.” He wasn’t surprised to see his mother and Sora run down the ramp next to Donghae to stand excited and yet nervous next to him. Donghae immediately cuddled into his side, and he smiled and dropped a kiss on Donghae’s cheek.

 

“Are you still embarrassed?” Donghae quietly asked, his voice almost lost in the noise of the other ship landing not too far away.

 

Hyukjae smiled. “A little, but glad that Mom and noona weren’t there to hear it. I forget sometimes how weird it is here.”

 

Donghae snorted. “It is very odd here. I think I was far more offended at the immediate mental questions of who would be penetrating who as if it was vital information to know for etiquette.”

 

“Power dynamics,” Hyukjae muttered, his irritation spiking briefly before Donghae’s remembered forceful answer made him both amused and embarrassed all over again. “Hopefully we’ll have some time to ourselves soon,” he said into Donghae’s ear.

 

Donghae’s smile was warm and agreeing. It took several minutes before the ramp lowered on the other ship, but the residual stress Hyukjae didn’t even realize he’d had fell off the instant he saw his father. Sora was faster than he was running, so she got to their father first, but he was quick enough at getting his arms around both of them. More arms wrapped around him, and he felt more relaxed than he had since they’d left Earth a month before.

 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he whispered, and Kanghun ruffled his hair.

 

“I’m glad all of _you_ are okay,” Kanghun replied. “You must have gotten here right in time, there was a rumor that we’d be shipped off soon,” he said, and Hyukjae caught the tight smile.

 

Hyukjae took a deep breath, knowing that once again he’d been at the mercy of time, but it had worked out in his favor. “Guess we have good timing,” he finally replied, his voice a little choked.

 

The volume picked up as they broke apart, greetings and relief being passed back and forth; several of the children bounced around, obviously excited to be reunited with the adults from Earth, and even Meng Jia warmly greeted them by name. It was only after they had all reassured themselves that everyone was alive and well that they glanced at the guards to the UN, who were still waiting patiently.

 

“What do I need to be aware of when negotiating with your people?” Meng Jia quietly asked Hyukjae.

 

Hyukjae glanced at Alex with a clear ‘help’ look. Alex’s eyes rolled fondly. “As I’m sure Hyukjae has already made mention of, you’re about to go into a room with approximately two hundred representatives from various nation-states on this planet. There has never been a unified, centralized government and without a doubt, some nations will use this as an attempt to gain more power, particularly my nation, the United States,” Alex quickly explained with a droll twist of lips. “My best advice for dealing with this situation is to appoint someone loyal to you as governor of Earth. There will be more cooperation if the nations see themselves as being beholden to someone not from here.”

 

Meng Jia nodded slightly. “My thanks. I will heed your advice and also keep a detachment of ships here to protect your world when we move on. It is unknown if Zhou Li would consider this world an important resource to be fought for or if he only sent ships here to capture my cousin.”

 

“I believe it is the latter,” Zhou Mi said. “But your caution is well-founded.”

 

“Before you get mired in all the political… stuff in there,” Seungchul started, and Hyukjae snorted a laugh at the pause, knowing exactly what Seungchul wanted to say.

 

“We’re hoping to go with you, preferably dragging other specops teams from here with us,” Samuel finished. “Not just our nations either,” he quickly added, looking at Hyukjae.

 

“Spec…ops?” Meng Jia repeated, the word stilted as she tried the pronunciation.

 

“Oh! Empress, he’s referring to special forces teams, many of which have been trained to work as small and self-contained groups, useful for infiltration,” Alex explained, confident. “I believe that what they’re asking is permission to come with you and help the efforts to overthrow Zhou Li.”

 

“Cousin, I believe this could benefit us. They have access to projectile weapons, which will get through shielding, and if Samuel Latu and Park Seungchul are examples, then they are well able to blend in, obtain and use information very quickly,” Zhou Mi said, his voice pitched low.

 

“It gets through _shielding_?” Meng Jia asked, her eyes widening slightly.

 

“Yes, and we’re going to keep that knowledge very quiet,” Hyukjae replied, shooting a look at both Samuel and Seungchul, both of whom rapidly nodded. “Projectile weapons haven’t been used in the Empire through several dynasties, but hand guns are able to get through the shielding, so that could provide a large advantage when we arrive on Yangshi. There are maybe five hundred people at most that would be going.”

 

“That number will probably go down,” Seungchul said darkly. “But yes, that’s what we’re asking.”

 

Meng Jia finally nodded. “Very well. I understand the military mind seeking a redress for the shock your world experienced. These people will understand and agree to fighting under my name?”

 

“We’ll make them understand, Empress,” Samuel assured. “Those who don’t agree can stay home,” he finished with a smile.

 

A quick plan was hatched for Hyukjae, Donghae, Amber and Samuel to start picking up groups of special forces while the admiral would be their contact inside the UN, telling them where to head next based on who had agreed.

 

“Don’t forget to weed out the homophobic assholes,” Seungchul told Samuel. “We don’t need this fucked up because someone wouldn’t take orders.”

 

“I don’t have that many bullets,” Samuel drolly replied. “Don’t worry, I’ll make the rules of conduct explicitly clear. I’m going to grab a cell phone to call my team really fast.” He jogged towards the line of guards, his loud voice already asking if someone had a mobile phone that worked.

 

“What is a… homophobic?” Meng Jia asked curiously, pausing in mid-step.

 

“A particular brand of useless people who don’t like and are hateful towards people who are attracted to the same sex, like it’s any of their business who is attracted to who,” Alex explained with a clear note of derision.

 

Meng Jia rolled her eyes and continued walking, leading the larger group towards the opened doors.

 

Hyukjae was happy that he was free of sitting through politics, but worried about the hatred that he could potentially run into.

 

“Twin and I will know instantly if they harbor ill feelings,” Amber assured quietly as they made their way back up to the flight deck.

 

“I know, but sometimes it’s hard to tell until they’re aware of something like me and Donghae being in a relationship,” Hyukjae explained. “It’s not something that’s immediately obvious.”

 

“I don’t suppose you two could just start making out in a public area? That would point people out really fast,” Samuel said offhand. 

 

“Are you able to do their job, then?” Amber teased.

 

“Huh?” Samuel asked, a confused frown on his lips and his eyebrows furrowing.

 

“They would be far more occupied with each other and would not be able to fly for some time,” Amber explained with a smirk.

 

Hyukjae dropped into the pilot’s chair. “Where are we headed?” he asked as he pulled up a satellite map.

 

They spent the next several hours flying around Earth, gradually filling up the holds with people and cargo. As they took off from outside Sydney, Hyukjae leaned over to the intercom. “Samuel? How many people do we have?”

 

There was silence for a long moment before Samuel’s voice floated back from the intercom. “Two thirty-eight.”

 

“Confirmed, we’ll head back to the UN and grab the other ship.”

 

“ETA?”

 

“About three minutes,” Hyukjae answered, already gaining altitude. It was a quiet ride back to the UN, and once they had landed next to the other ship, he sighed heavily. He really wanted a nap, a hot shower, and some alone time with Donghae, not necessarily in that order.

 

Donghae hugged him from behind as soon as they stood from shutting the panels down and Hyukjae just walked with his human-shaped koala clinging to his back.

 

“I am able to pilot by myself if you both wish to retire to have sex,” Amber said as they boarded the lift.

 

Hyukjae shook his head almost immediately. “Not right now, but thanks for the offer. I just want to get this done quickly.”

 

“Understood,” Amber agreed as she leaned into him. “It must be difficult to be confronted again.”

 

Hyukjae sighed. “Yeah it is, although it’s more annoying than anything else. The only thing difficult is the memories of name calling.” He breathed out a laugh as a random thought occurred to him. “It’s slightly satisfying to know that the amount of people who are like that are far outnumbered.”

 

Donghae kissed the back of his neck, making him shiver. “They will stay silent aside from cautious murmurs in closed spaces.”

 

“Yeah they will. Thanks for the recharge,” Hyukjae said as he kissed Amber’s cheek and turned his head to leave a lingering, promising kiss on Donghae’s lips as the lift stopped and the doors opened.

 

Amber smiled and led the way out of the lift and towards the cargo hold, where they could hear the steady noise of conversations. Donghae slid from behind to beside him, his hand resting comfortably on Hyukjae’s lower back. Hyukjae let his hand sneak across a narrow waist to rest on Donghae’s hip in a brief sensual caress.

 

Hyukjae spotted Samuel standing just outside the hold with a clear look of relief on his face.

 

“Oh thank fuck,” Samuel said.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“There’s over two hundred people in there, most from some of the big name specops teams; a good majority of the women were sent as a joke from some idiots who couldn’t unclench, and I think they’re the most bloodthirsty of the lot. Plenty of supplies to start sharing with other ground forces, too. How many more are we going for?”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “I think they’re still playing political football, so we’re basically waiting to hear back. But we’re ready to go as soon as we get the other ship started back up.”

 

“So everyone just stays here?” Samuel asked as they walked into the hold, Amber walking quickly through to try and get away from the crowd of people and the press of insistent thoughts.

 

“Yeah, instead of moving supplies and people, we’ll just switch ships to save time,” Hyukjae replied. He ducked his head slightly as he caught Donghae’s head turning towards him.

 

“Many of the cargo structures look unstable,” Donghae whispered, pointing at the far corner.

 

He paused and looked over, his head tilting slightly as he tried to figure out what had caught Donghae’s attention. “Oh it’s leaning,” he finally muttered. “Amber, we’ll secure the cargo here and then join you,” he called to Amber, who was waiting by the open ramp.

 

Her head tilted slightly in an acknowledgement before she walked down the ramp.

 

“Do you think the sensors are where they should be?” Hyukjae asked.

 

Donghae’s shoulder shrugged slightly. “The only option to know is to investigate,” he teased with a slight curl of his lips.

 

“Yeah, yeah smartass. Cover me while I open the sled?”

 

“I will investigate, as my hearing is beyond yours.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “Sure, I just didn’t know if everyone around was giving you hearing problems or not.”

 

Donghae smiled and Hyukjae felt the warmth from it. “I am well, twin was becoming bothered, but she is contented now.”

 

“Hey you two coming?” Samuel called, standing at the top of the ramp.

 

“As soon as we get the cargo secured,” Hyukjae replied, jerking a thumb towards the leaning pile. “We’re going to check the sled first.”

 

“What kind of idiot setup did I get sent on,” Hyukjae heard someone off to his left mutter. Turning his head, his eyebrows arched at the obviously fuming woman, dressed in dark green fatigues with her dark hair pulled back in a bun. “Don’t you even know your own ship?” she asked louder when she met Hyukjae’s gaze.

 

“This is not our vessel,” Donghae calmly replied. “You may wish to move slightly, as I am unknowing if the sled door has been sabotaged.”

 

The hold, which had already been getting quiet, was completely silent. “Why would the door have been sabotaged?” the woman finally asked, her words slow and deliberate.

 

“We killed the slavers who were here and took the ship. The door could have been booby trapped to kill the kids in case they tried to escape,” Hyukjae explained as he pulled out his weapon and flipped the safety off. “Ready when you are,” he told Donghae.

 

Donghae nodded once, flattened his body against the wall and tapped the sled door to open it. Hyukjae stayed nearly frozen, his weapon pointed at where the sled would float out until the sled was out, hovering, and the door had shut. Donghae tilted his head slightly, then relaxed. “We are not in danger,” he finally announced, grabbing the sensors.

 

Hyukjae blew out his breath, his body relaxing. “I hate having to do that,” he said as he grabbed at least five sensors and stuck them in a pocket in his pants.

 

“I am not overly fond of it either. Do you mind?” he quietly asked, glancing upwards.

 

“I was already planning on it,” Hyukjae replied just as quietly, smiling. “Place the ones closest to the handles first and I’ll follow you.”

 

Donghae nodded and walked over to the leaning piles of supplies. Hyukjae rolled his head around and started climbing. He’d have to be quick to make sure his hands wouldn’t slip on the rungs in the ceiling, knowing from experience that they were all smooth metal, and they didn’t have the non-slip gloves with them. Wiping his hands on his shirt to make sure they were completely dry before he grabbed any of the rungs in the ceiling, he glanced down. Donghae was staring up at him, waiting. Grabbing the first rung, Hyukjae took a deep breath and then swung off the wall. He had to move almost half a meter before he could place the first sensor, using his momentum to place it and then turn it on, moving himself out of the way.

 

Swinging himself along the ceiling as he followed Donghae in a square around the cargo, he had to pause and wipe one hand and then the other on his shirt towards the end, and he cursed as his hand slipped off a rung. Luckily, he already had a firm grip on the next, and he winced as he wiped his hand before grabbing the rung with both hands. He had two more sensors to place, then he could get back down onto solid ground.

 

Focusing on what he had to do, he tuned everything else out to get the last sensors in place, turned on, and himself back to the ground. Donghae almost immediately reached out, gingerly pressing at Hyukjae’s left shoulder. Hyukjae reached up and stilled Donghae’s hand. “I’m fine, it just scared me,” he assured.

 

Donghae nodded, smiling a little. “Thank you.”

 

Hyukjae reached out, tangling their fingers together. “Come on, let’s get everyone else picked up. That should be safe enough, but I wouldn’t stay too close to it,” he told the people in the hold as they began walking out.

 

Amber already had their ship started and was waiting patiently in the pilot’s seat by the time they arrived. Hyukjae settled himself down in the weapons chair, figuring that both of the twins had gathered enough clues to know which general direction to go in, and it was nice to actually give himself the break from flying, even though his headache had totally disappeared. The rest of their pickups went smoothly, and Hyukjae was surprised and yet not when the admiral contacted them again after barely fifty people had boarded to tell them that they were done.

 

Letting the thought and resentment go, he was curious about what had been decided in the political arena. Once the ship had been locked back down, they wandered back through the ship, all of them content in the silence. It was still fully dark when they landed, and Hyukjae appreciated the quietness of a large city still caught in the throes of sleep. Song Qian was outside the buildings, her head tilted upwards and eyes closed. The small smile on her lips was the biggest clue for Hyukjae that she was appreciating the same thing instead of anything being wrong. Her eyes opened as they came closer, and they all easily arranged themselves into a four-person hug.

 

“The leaders have agreed,” Song Qian said, finally breaking the spell of silence. “Your planet will join the Empire under Empress Jia.”

 

Hyukjae sighed, a smile stretching across his lips. “Good,” he said, feeling the relaxation spread through his body.

 

“Zoe Vasconcelos also will be finished supplying the medical area with needed supplies for you soon. You are feeling well?”

 

Hyukjae nodded. “Headache’s gone, thankfully,” he finished with a yawn. “I hope we can wrap this up soon, it’s time for our sleep.”

 

Both Song Qian and Amber looked at him skeptically, while Donghae’s lips curved in a smile.

 

“Sleep, then sex,” he clarified. “We’ve been up for about half a _farn_ now in case you didn’t notice. Donghae and I haven’t napped since we were running with the kids.”

 

“Even with a nap, we should rest ourselves as well. Your recommendation for sleep and sex is sound and should be followed,” Song Qian teased, her voice serious but face merry.

 

Both of the twins snorted in amusement.

 

“Glad to see that you agree with my advice for treatment, doctor,” Hyukjae teased back.

 

“If Amber is agreeing to a solitary watch for a time, I will be administering that treatment to myself as well,” Song Qian muttered.

 

Amber nodded her head once. “Of course. It is not a burden for me.”

 

“My thanks.”

 

They enjoyed the quietness for a few moments, relaxing with each other before they would be off and running again. As everyone began to trickle out of the building, they broke out of their hug to attend to more immediate matters like transporting everyone back up to the fleet and offloading the cargo to be distributed.

 

Instead of retiring to the rooms that Wang Xian had offered, everyone on the crew retired back to their ship and sealed the ramp. The constant paranoia that they all lived with seemed to abate once everyone except them was off the ship and the tiredness took over.

 

“Cuddle sleep?” Song Qian offered, her eyes drooping.

 

“Sounds perfect,” Hyukjae quickly agreed. They probably wouldn’t have time for a group sleep until they had defeated Zhou Li’s forces, and he wanted and needed to feel the comfort of companionship. Everyone else made variously tired noises of agreement, and as normal when they all decided to sleep together, everyone piled into Donghae and Hyukjae’s sleeping pad.

 

Snuggling up between the twins, Hyukjae easily dropped off to sleep, everyone’s arms and legs tangling together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews and kudos are appreciated.


	16. the space between anger and love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only warnings are for smut and some heteronormative mentions

When Hyukjae woke up, it was to soft lips on his, lips that he knew didn’t belong to Donghae from the feeling alone. Propping one eye open, he smiled at Amber. “Time to wake up?” he asked as she pulled back slightly.

 

She grunted softly. “I am going for watch. The anticipation of resolution from everyone is influencing my dreams.”

 

“Did you sleep?”

 

She hummed. “It has been two standards.”

 

“Okay good.” Hyukjae ran his fingers through her hair soothingly and rubbed his nose against hers. Donghae’s arm was still lying across his waist and he shuffled even closer to Hyukjae’s back, his breathing deep and even. “Have a good watch,” he mumbled as he rolled over and Amber rose up to step into her shoes. He wrapped a leg over Donghae’s sturdy thighs and closed his eyes again. Even though he could recognize and definitely appreciate the slow curl of heat in his lower abdomen, the memories of the previous hours had his blood boiling for a different reason. Trying to force the thoughts of judgement and anger out of the way so that he could actually concentrate more on the desire, he took deep breaths.

 

Amber’s absence had Donghae waking up within a few minutes, his dark eyes cracking open and eyebrows pulling together in confusion before clearing. Donghae placed soft kisses on his lips, teasingly pulling back when Hyukjae leaned forward to get a little more. Hyukjae’s eyes opened fully when he heard the rustle of clothes on the other side of Donghae. Zhou Mi was sleepily running a hand through Song Qian’s hair, their foreheads pressed together. After a moment, Song Qian rolled over, rising up on her knees. Seeing both he and Donghae were awake, she leaned down and pecked their cheeks, totally unselfconscious about how her skewed shirt was baring her breasts. “We are going now.”

 

Donghae made an agreeing noise, his fingers starting to dig into Hyukjae’s skin. Song Qian stood, followed quickly by Zhou Mi. The cell door opened and closed, and Donghae merely stroked his back until they heard the closing of another cell door.

 

“You are angry,” Donghae mumbled.

 

“Not too much anymore,” Hyukjae replied.

 

“Would you like to have sex or go train?”

 

Leaning forward, Hyukjae kissed Donghae, softly pressing their lips together. “We have time for sex,” he said, a smile spreading across his lips.

 

Donghae smiled back, his hand curving under Hyukjae’s thigh to pull him closer. “Yes we do.”

 

“Be rough,” Hyukjae whispered before he kissed Donghae again. He sucked in his breath when Donghae’s hand curled into his short hair and tugged his head back. Unsurprisingly, Donghae’s eyes were coloring blue.

 

“Are you certain?”

 

Hyukjae nodded. “Please. I want you – I need you – to be wild and rough on me. Don’t let me move, use two fingers, do whatever to mark me and claim me. I need that, Donghae. You can be gentle after, but for this, please be rough.” Hyukjae still had enough reasoning to know why he was wanting Donghae to be so rough with him. The bouts of homophobia had shaken him, and he needed the reassurance that he was wanted, desired, and loved by Donghae.

 

Donghae was still for a moment before he lunged, nearly tearing their clothes in the haste to get them off. Softer musical moans were drifting into their cell, but they were almost covered by the growls coming from Donghae’s throat. Hyukjae knew there would be no judgement passed by the other three people in his little ship family about Donghae fucking him, so he tried to put the thought of others judging him out of his mind. Donghae helped with his hands stroking Hyukjae’s bare skin, and Hyukjae let the sensations consume his thoughts. Closing his eyes, he breathed in and out a couple of times before opening them. He wasn’t surprised to see that Donghae had left his skin to hover over him.

 

“If they are inclined, they will pass judgement on either of us regardless.”

 

Hyukjae sighed, his eyes closing again. “I know,” he said, frustration and anger flashing through his thoughts. “Dammit, I want to have sex because we’ve been so busy over the past few _farn_ and haven’t had time, but I can’t stop thinking about the reactions of other people and how they’re going to treat one of us differently because they’re so locked up in that way of thinking.”

 

Donghae was smiling at him when he opened his eyes, the blue glow fading back into calmer brown. “We can have sex at another time,” he assured, his hand soft as he stroked Hyukjae’s body. “The social needs of both of our species are well known, and you are concerned with the other members’ thoughts.”

 

“But I _shouldn’t_ be,” Hyukjae immediately protested. “I shouldn’t _care_ about what they think about us, but it’s so ingrained for me to be careful and quiet to keep my job or my continued existence,” he growled, more irritated at himself for getting so hung up in his thoughts and making Donghae offer to have sex at another time. “I hate it,” he said after a moment, tears springing to his eyes. “I _hate_ it,” he repeated, his voice cracking a little as the frustration grew to the point where he was crying.

 

Donghae hugged him close, softly pressing kisses along Hyukjae’s cheeks and neck while his hands rubbed soothingly along his skin. After a moment, Donghae pressed a kiss to Hyukjae’s lips. “Do not feel sorry,” he whispered as Hyukjae sniffled. “We will simply postpone this encounter.”

 

Hyukjae sighed heavily and looped his arms around Donghae’s neck. “But we don’t know when we’ll have time again.”

 

Donghae smiled, his eyes flashing blue. “We will _make_ time,” he promised. “I will give you the roughness that you desire to prove my claim on you, but only when you are unburdened. It is understandable that you would feel concern over this issue, as you have not had to encounter it in a while. We have always been regarded as free people, so there is nothing shameful in what we do in the eyes of the galaxy.” Donghae paused and then shrugged. “Your world will learn the tolerance for us and perhaps can teach the Empire how to dislike slavery.”

 

Hyukjae smiled. “I hope so. Want to go beat a dummy up?” His eyes flickered over to the cell door at the pleasured moans, then back to Donghae.

 

Donghae hummed. “They will be busy for some time, and training is an acceptable alternative to having sex.”

 

They both pulled their clothes back on quickly and with a quick stop to the flight deck to tell Amber where they were going, they arrived at the practice room on the large flagship. Hyukjae’s frustration was turning into anger and it flared unexpectedly when he saw several groups that they had picked up from Earth already there and going through their own training. He zeroed in on a training dummy and jerked his head towards it when Donghae looked at him. He stripped his shirt in a frustration motion along the way, the anger at people from Earth and the anger at the somewhat suspicious looks from the crewmembers of the flagship that were also there had him nearly lunging at the training dummy.

 

His fist nearly sent the flexing pillar to the floor with the force of the punch he delivered. It was actually kind of a relief to just beat the hell out of something after trying to play nice and calm for so long. Punching, kicking, head butting, using his hands, feet, knees and elbows against the padded surface, he used his entire body in an effort to purge the hurt and hatred from his body and mind. After a while, he registered Donghae fighting against another training dummy, his movements calmer and more economical than Hyukjae’s own, and Hyukjae slowed his furious attack, being calmed just by Donghae’s presence.

 

Hyukjae kept hitting the dummy, but the fury behind his attacks had dissipated almost as soon as it had flared up, just as it always had. He couldn’t ever be angry for long even though he could hold a grudge, and when he felt drained, he slowed his movements and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Taking a few deep breaths, he rested his head against the training dummy. He could still beat at the dummy with half-hearted moves, but the majority of his fury was spent and he knew he needed to actually stop before he overheated again.

 

“Are you well?” Donghae asked quietly.

 

Hyukjae blew his breath out. “Yeah, I’m fine. I feel a little better at least. How long have we been here?”

 

“About one third of a standard.”

 

He paused, trying to recalibrate his own internal clock for the passage of an hour. “I didn’t realize I was that pissed off,” he muttered.

 

“It has been difficult for you to be confronted again on your planet,” Donghae replied quietly.

 

Sighing with a bit of irritation, he folded his arms across his chest. “I think that it also has something to do with one of my own issues. With the hatred comes gender roles being assumed and pushed upon those of us in same sex relationships, and even people who don’t actively hate us do it too, mostly without even realizing it. Think of it like instead of us being free people, where it’s automatically assumed that we switch, it’s more like where you were still tribute and assumed to be getting fucked all the time.”

 

Donghae’s head tilted. “Is that why people on the ship were so concerned with who was being penetrated?”

 

Hyukjae’s lips twitched. “Probably. A lot of them were probably wondering who to treat as the ‘weaker woman’ to fit their own worldview, never mind that we both consider ourselves men.”

 

Donghae’s raised eyebrows spoke volumes about what he thought about that line of thought.

 

“But that has to do with me, because I was raised in that environment, so it could have been me giving into a deep rooted desire to… I guess prove my own masculinity because as soon as I can actually hang up my thoughts, I want you inside me. This could have been a way of releasing my frustration about that in a way too, I think. That bothers me because I should be far beyond that but here I am giving into it,” Hyukjae continued, irritation at himself flaring up.

 

Donghae reached out and placed his hand on one of Hyukjae’s arms. “Your reaction is understandable. You were deeply impressed with that attitude from a young age and had no alternative but to comply, and being back after so long away would pressure you to comply again.”

 

Hyukjae smiled and let his arms fall to rest softly and suggestively on Donghae’s hips. “You’re the best, Donghae,” he said as he bumped their foreheads gently together.

 

“I know it is a concern for you, but take assurance that we will always consider you how you wish. Your wish is to be seen as masculine and you are. I am deeply attracted to it.” Donghae’s voice became softer until it was almost a growl rumbling from his throat into Hyukjae’s chest. “Would you like to go? We seem to be drawing the attention of the others.”

 

“Fuck them,” Hyukjae whispered as he kissed Donghae, sliding his hands around to grab a handful of the utterly gorgeous, bountiful ass Donghae had been blessed with. He centered himself while he and Donghae kissed, reassuring and reaffirming who he was to himself. “Let’s go back to the ship. I want you,” he mumbled as soon as he had pulled back slightly.

 

Donghae smiled, his eyes turning blue. Their fingers tangled together as they left the training room, and Hyukjae relished in the certainty of knowing himself and knowing what he wanted again, without the latent fear he was certain he’d been carrying around since they had first landed in the solar system. The ramp was still down, and as they climbed back into the ship and retracted the ramp, Donghae made contact with Amber through the intercom to let her know that they were back on the ship. Their living space was silent aside from the sound of the shower running, and Donghae tugged him towards the shower.

 

“You still need to cool down from exercise so that you do not experience heat exhaustion.”

 

Hyukjae snickered. “Oh, you’re going to keep me that busy?” he teased.

 

Donghae hummed in agreement. They stripped off their sweaty clothes and Hyukjae initially shivered at the cool air. The warm water cascading down from the ceiling quickly canceled out the shivering and they were both greeted with wet hugs from Zhou Mi and Song Qian.

 

“Feeling better?” Hyukjae asked as Song Qian quickly checked his heartbeat.

 

“Yes,” she replied. “It was most enjoyable to have sex for recreation again and I do regret that we did not speak about how unsettled we both were over a misguided thought.”

 

Zhou Mi leaned over, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. “That fault lies with both of us, and I am grateful we did speak about it finally.”

 

Hyukjae raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

 

“Wang Fei?” Donghae asked as he cleaned his body.

 

Song Qian nodded. “I did not realize that there were more reasons behind the cessation of their romantic relationship than realizations on the importance of their friendship.”

 

“Mostly that I was and still am unable to give her the romantic feelings she desires from a partner,” Zhou Mi said, a touch of regret in his voice. “Both Song Qian and I agree on our views of partnership without romantic feelings, while Wang Fei desires the type of partnership you both enjoy.”

 

“Romantic feelings, while enjoyable for others, is nothing but a gilded prison to me,” Song Qian replied calmly as she rinsed her hair. “I prefer my current life of living freely as a time giver, and our current and future arrangements suit me well. Are you going to have sex?”

 

Donghae nodded. “Yes, I am simply ensuring that Hyukjae is sufficiently cooled down from our training.”

 

Hyukjae smiled and hugged Donghae, their wet skin gliding together. “We still have more than enough time for it,” he said. He shivered as he felt Donghae’s slick hand slide down his ass to lightly circle his sphincter.

 

Zhou Mi laughed. “Yes you do. I believe that those who are more aware of strategy and planning will be doing that for a while, which leaves everyone enough time to relax and enjoy their chosen recreation.”

 

Hyukjae gasped as Donghae’s cleanser-slicked finger pushed inside him, and his head rolled forward. Both he and Donghae replied to Zhou Mi and Song Qian as they left the shower, and Donghae turned down the temperature a little, making Hyukjae move even closer. Donghae teased him and worked him up so slowly with just that single finger moving in and out of him as they kissed. When Hyukjae shivered, his body protesting the cold, Donghae reached over and turned off the water as soon as they were rinsed off. They dried off, grabbed their clothes, and stepped back into their shoes to walk back to their cell. Leaving their clothes and shoes off to the side of the sleeping pad, Hyukjae eagerly laid down, his fingers circling his dick and slowly pumping while his legs splayed open for Donghae.

 

He gasped when Donghae pushed his knees up to his chest and nearly screamed as soon as he felt the softness of Donghae’s tongue lapping at the sensitive skin around his sphincter. Letting go of his dick, he grabbed the back of his knees instead and held himself open for Donghae. Each wet lick added into the pleasure – now fortunately free of shame, guilt, anger – and Hyukjae moaned throatily as Donghae used his tongue to make him squirm. It was almost a relief when he felt two fingers slide wetly inside him, his hips rocking against Donghae’s fingers in a desperate bid for more pleasure. Two fingers almost became three but Hyukjae let his legs drop.

 

“Just those,” he said. “I still want you to be rough with me.”

 

Donghae looked up at him, his eyes blue and glowing. Their intense eye contact wasn’t broken until Donghae moved upwards, his erection already glistening with the lubricant. Hyukjae forced himself to keep breathing as Donghae pressed inside him, but his eyes did close as he absorbed the sensations. He moaned as he felt his body stretching around Donghae’s dick and the soft hands that were turning firm. Once Donghae was fully inside him, Hyukjae leaned up, pressing his lips against Donghae’s.

 

“I love you,” he whispered. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

 

Donghae smiled. “I love you as well,” he replied, his voice as soft as Hyukjae’s had been, and Hyukjae relaxed, giving up all of his control to Donghae. Donghae sniffed at his skin from his throat to his hairline and then traced that same path with his tongue. Hyukjae was distracted enough by Donghae licking at him that he didn’t really register Donghae pulling his hips back until his breath was stolen by Donghae thrusting back inside. Donghae’s arms locked and kept Hyukjae immobile, with his legs spread wide open, and his body receiving the hard thrusts. Hyukjae basked in the sensations, feeling so treasured and masculine, even in a position that most wouldn’t consider as masculine. The strength of Donghae’s muscles surrounding him and having to work and strain against the strength of his own muscles just added to the feeling of masculinity and gave him a thrill from the subversive element of it.

 

Opening his eyes, he looked at Donghae’s face as his body tightened up, thinking of how much he loved Donghae, how he loved watching the pleasure flickering across his expressive face, the snarl that pulled up Donghae’s lips, and the sensation of hard thrusts of Donghae’s hips. Donghae pulled him closer, tilting Hyukjae’s hips, and with the next thrust, Hyukjae screamed from the direct stimulation of his prostate, his body arching as much as he could from his pinned down position.

 

Donghae suddenly moaned loudly on the next thrust and Hyukjae gasped as he felt the wet warmth of Donghae’s come within him. Within two wet, gliding thrusts, Hyukjae was coming himself, the hard press from Donghae’s dick swelling into a knot to push right against his prostate and sending him over the edge, his cock twitching between their bodies and splattering come across his abdomen. He was nearly whimpering by the time he could open his eyes again, and he wrapped his limbs around Donghae.

 

“I’m looking forward to you being able to do that more often,” he mumbled, nuzzling his face against Donghae’s neck.

 

Donghae chuckled, a little tiredly. “That does not seem as far off as it used to.”

 

Hyukjae smiled. “No it doesn’t.” He stopped the thoughts of them being able to settle down almost as soon as they started, reminding himself to focus on what he had now. Though Donghae probably knew where his mind had drifted, he didn’t mention anything to Hyukjae, and instead they cuddled until Hyukjae shifted slightly. Donghae pulled them up so that Hyukjae was sitting on Donghae’s cock with his legs spread. The press of the knot against his prostate began registering as pleasure again and since his dick wasn’t overly sensitive, he leaned back on his hands, shamelessly displaying his body for Donghae.

 

Donghae smirked at him – a rare expression for him to see at all – and teasingly ran his hands up Hyukjae’s body to lightly play with his nipples. Hyukjae let his head fall back with a gasp, his hips jerking forward slightly. Donghae spent several minutes just on his nipples until he was whining, his body clenching tightly around Donghae’s cock and his fingers curling into the sleeping pad. Hyukjae finally rolled his head back up and opened his eyes when he felt the softness of all of Donghae’s fingers and both palms wrapping around his dick.

 

Hyukjae watched Donghae slowly jerk him off, the enlarged head of Donghae’s dick stretching his body and firmly pressing against his prostate while the rest of the large cock stayed firm inside him as well. It never took much for Donghae to make him come again, the firmness inside him, the softness of Donghae’s fingers around his erection, and a few whispered words would make Hyukjae come. His second orgasm was usually less intense than the first, but it felt far more emotional than physical. He was entirely at Donghae’s mercy, as he would be the one most injured if Donghae tried to pull out, and they both often used his second orgasm as a reconnection in their emotions, keeping themselves on the same page and reassuring each other that they were loved.

 

As much as Hyukjae wanted to clamor for another round when Donghae could finally pull out, his desire for food was stronger than his desire for sex at that precise moment. The hatred he felt for the air showers overrode the want for quickly getting food, so they washed themselves under warm water before getting redressed. Wandering up to the flight deck holding hands, they found everyone watching an entertainment broadcast, a pleasure they rarely got to enjoy.

 

Amber was the first to notice them. “Feeling better?” she asked, running her fingers through Song Qian’s hair.

 

“Yes we do twin. However, now we desire food.”

 

“Finally,” Song Qian teased from where she was curled up next to Amber in the weapons chair. “We have all been hungry, we were waiting on you both.”

 

Hyukjae stuck out his tongue childishly. “Oh so you knew that we weren’t going to spend a full standard in bed?” he teased right back.

 

Zhou Mi snorted a laugh as he stood. “It is almost time for our normal meal, it was an educated guess.”

 

“It was a good guess,” Hyukjae replied. “Let’s go, I’m hungry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews and kudos are appreciated.


	17. the space in the empire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, no warnings I can think of. enjoy the fam bonding.

Hyukjae reclined in a chair as he watched Meng Jia, wearing her gold dress with her hair and makeup expertly done. She looked as though she had already taken the throne as Empress, but her hands rested delicately on the hilt of a monstrously huge claymore in front of her. The tip of the large sword was nestled softly in the carpet, with enough pressure to keep upright, without slicing into the floor. The sword itself belonged to one of the special forces people that they had picked up, and Hyukjae told himself that he _really_ shouldn’t be surprised that it was offered as a temporary prop to increase the symbolism of her announcement. They were just waiting for the signal that the communications connection to the main hub of broadcasts had been fully connected, and Zhou Mi kept the small, handheld camera focused on her. When the white light lit up, Meng Jia took a deep breath, her gaze steady.

 

“I challenge you, Zhou Li, to the honorable tradition of champion battle. Not only have you not gone to pray to the ancestors as is your duty, but your claim to discovery of this world that I stand upon is false. My cousin was exiled, your own doing, and he passed the claim to me, proving that I am the true holder of the Mandate. You have one _farn_ to respond to this challenge, or everyone will see the true cowardice that you possess,” she finished, her voice nearly drenched in contempt and a small, delicate sneer on her lips. After a second, her face smoothed out into an earnest, warmer expression. “People of the Empire, my loyal subjects, I swear to you that I do not desire the needless deaths that would occur with war, but if my challenge is not responded to we have no other choice.”

 

“You carry it into battle with you?” Donghae asked quietly beside him.

 

“Aye, it’s something of a good luck charm,” a voice answered quietly back. Hyukjae glanced over, trying to see if there was a name tag on the uniform so he could put a name to the voice. All he could definitely spot was the United Kingdom flag patch, so he shrugged to himself and leaned back.

 

“It does not become burdensome?”

 

“Sometimes, but it can come in handy when people aren’t expecting it.”

 

Donghae nodded. “I can understand that strategy.” The conversation taking place beside him made him miss any concluding remarks Meng Jia was making and he only realized that she was done when Zhou Mi spoke.

 

“Well done, cousin.”

 

Hyukjae looked back at the central podium to see Meng Jia flash Zhou Mi a relieved smile and lift the claymore into her hands. The sword looked comically large and heavy against her frame and dress, but she carried it easily to the man next to Donghae. “I thank you for the use of this weapon, Jack Hill.”

 

He nodded his head as he stood and sheathed the large sword, fastening it across his back. “My pleasure, Empress. Like I said, the symbolism was a little too good to pass up, as was the resemblance to Queen Elizabeth.”

 

“She was one of your leaders?” Meng Jia asked, her head tilting curiously.

 

“Yes, and as much as we Scots don’t like the English, Elizabeth the first was a hard woman in a hard time, and I have to respect that.”

 

“So what do we do now?” Samuel asked curiously.

 

“We wait for a response within the next _farn_ ,” Meng Jia replied, shrugging a shoulder.

 

“Okay can you explain the process a little more, what happens?”

 

“If Zhou Li does not respond, then the peace the Empire is now in is broken, and we move towards Yangshi and invade the remaining worlds loyal to him. If he responds and denies the challenge, then the same thing occurs. If he responds and accepts, then we travel to Changan in peace and the champion battle will take place for rulership,” she explained as she sat down in a chair almost sideways, resting her arm along the back of the chair and placing her chin down on it.

 

“Who rules the Empire could be decided by two people?” Hyukjae asked, slightly horrified.

 

“The champion battle is an ancient tradition, usually used when there was a boy child that had been crowned Emperor of a crumbling dynasty that no longer had the Mandate. The child Emperor was innocent in the plots of adults, and many people who would be killed in the course of war were saved by this method, which is how the Empire has flourished,” she explained, her voice steady.

 

She paused, biting her lip briefly, and Hyukjae guessed she was trying to put into words some aspect of the culture she just knew. “Each dynasty would send a champion, and they battle each other until one is defeated. Some previous dynasties, knowing that they were at an end, would send an elderly soldier so that the battle could be quickly decided and the Mandate passed with honor. If the combatants are more evenly matched, then it is accepted that the Mandate is with whoever wins, be it the challenger or the challenged.”

 

“That seems like a lot is left up to luck instead of merit,” Hyukjae commented.

 

Meng Jia shrugged. “It is the nature of the Mandate.”

 

“So if you win, then it seems like we won’t have much to do,” Samuel said, his voice rising at the end to indicate it was more of a question than a statement of fact.

 

“Your groups will have much to do still,” Zhou Mi returned, his voice reassuring. “There will still be lingering loyalties on Yangshi and upon other worlds that will need to be pacified. There is also no certainty that Zhou Li will respond.”

 

Samuel nodded. “We can live with that.”

 

Once they were back on the flagship, Hyukjae was slightly surprised by Meng Jia hanging back and asking him, Donghae, and Zhou Mi to a meeting in Wang Xian’s suite, and to bring Amber and Song Qian with them in a standard. Assured that they would gather, she nodded and swept out of the hangar, people bowing in her wake.

 

 

A standard later, Hyukjae was looking at the dark liquid in the glass he held skeptically for a moment before sipping at it. The sweet, fruity taste exploded along his tongue, and the only comparison he could think of was a combination of strawberries and sugar as he swallowed the liquid.

 

“It is _bushi_ , very rare and used for special occasions,” Donghae whispered to him.

 

Hyukjae nodded and rubbed his thumb over Donghae’s knuckles. His eyebrows arched slightly as he felt the sudden punch of the alcohol in the drink. “Wow it’s got a kick to it,” he whispered back, eyeing the drink in a new light.

 

“That amount is enough to intoxicate you.”

 

Hyukjae’s smirk rivaled Donghae’s. “Trying to get me drunk and have your wicked way with me?” he teased lowly, leaning over the side arm of his chair towards Donghae.

 

“I believe I already have, but I am amenable to watching you pleasure yourself on me again. It does not require intoxication to have you naked and willing for me.”

 

Hyukjae melted a little as Donghae kissed him lightly, his body throbbing with remembered pleasure. Looking up as he heard the door open, he smiled at Amber, who was quickly followed by Meng Jia, Wang Fei, and most surprisingly of all, Zhou Mi’s mother, Meng Xia.

 

“My apologies for the delay,” Meng Jia said, brushing a few strands of hair off of her face.

 

“It is understandable with your position, Empress,” Wang Xian replied, his voice slightly formal as Zhou Mi stood to greet his mother.

 

“Xixi, we’re all comrades in private,” Wang Fei chided playfully as the door slid shut behind her. “You don’t have to put on your Fleet Commander act, especially in your own suite.”

 

Wang Xian snorted a quick laugh and leaned back, his posture relaxing. “Then you can pour the _bushi_ yourself, Sister.”

 

“Brat.” Wang Fei sniffed, but she did so with a fond smile and quickly poured three glasses of the drink, handing one to Meng Jia.

 

“As I do not currently have a formal council to assist me, I gathered all of you together as I trust your opinions and insights,” Meng Jia said after she had taken a slow, careful sip. “I ask for your recommendations for the champion if the challenge is accepted.”

 

“Me,” Zhou Mi immediately said. “I will not allow any other.”

 

“A rather bold claim, Mimi,” Fei said, her eyebrows raising as Meng Xia coughed, the _bushi_ apparently having gone down wrong.

 

“Mi,” Meng Xia started, a motherly note of warning in her voice.

 

“Only the twins have a previous grievance against Zhou Li, and if I am correct in my guess about who would be sent, they would not be able to do what I can,” Zhou Mi said forcefully, his voice silencing his mother.

 

“Who would he send?” Song Qian asked.

 

“One of my cousins, I suspect. Though I am not aware of any official announcement, it is most likely that he chose one of them to become heir after my exile.”

 

“We cede the right of grievance to you for that reason,” Amber said. “It is agreed that he would send someone that a challenger would feel hesitance about harming and hope to win with that strategy. But we are going with you as the champion’s retinue.”

 

Zhou Mi took a sip of the _bushi_. “I would be unable to dissuade you all?”

 

“Our lives are entangled,” Song Qian stated.

 

“Where one goes, we all go,” Hyukjae agreed.

 

“All right. If my favorite cousin would care to grace us with her approval,” Zhou Mi teased with a curve of his lips that made Meng Jia smile and shake her head fondly, “we can begin preparations.”

 

“Do you think he will accept the challenge?” Wang Xian asked.

 

“He would be a fool to not accept or ignore it. He is already earning distrust from not going to pray to the Empire’s ancestors, no matter what excuse he gives. To ignore or decline would turn many more against him,” Meng Xia said, her noble personality cracking either due to shock or from the _bushi_.

 

Hyukjae grinned. “But it would make our job a lot easier, people would practically invite us in.” He instinctively looked around when he heard a soft chime, but Wang Xian tapped at the small table beside him.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Commander, it is Communications, there is a broadcast from Zhou Li.”

 

Hyukjae felt his stomach flip, and he slid his fingers in between Donghae’s to try and settle himself.

 

“Play broadcast throughout the ship, including my personal suite.”

 

“Confirmed.”

 

A small hologram flickered to life on the table beside Wang Xian. To him, Zhou Li literally looked like an older, meaner version of Zhou Mi, dressed in darker military clothes that contrasted sharply with the shock of white hair on his head, his hand resting threateningly on the weapon holstered at his still-narrow waist.

 

“Your threats do not shake me, you impudent _girl_ ,” Zhou Li spat. “The champion battle will take place in two _farn_. You can take your empty promises and accusations to the grave.”

 

The image flickered out abruptly, leaving the room in silence.

 

“What a distinctly unpleasant individual,” Song Qian commented, her voice slightly muffled by her glass as she took a sip of her drink.

 

“Yes,” everyone aside from Hyukjae chorused, their voices a mix of resignation and anger.

 

“Well, that’s that,” Hyukjae said, shrugging. “When do we leave?”

 

“We are less than a _farn_ away from Changan, but if memory serves, we will need to leave promptly to allow time for the proper rites and rituals to be observed,” Wang Xian answered.

 

“That sounds formal,” Hyukjae said, frowning.

 

“Yes, we will need to fashion formal wear for you three from the fabric we purchased,” Zhou Mi replied.

 

Hyukjae wrinkled his nose for a second before bouncing up, a thought occurring to him as a small holographic Earth spun slowly over the table. “Oh! We’re here, at Earth. I have formal clothes already made planet side. Give me less than a standard to go pick them up and then we can go, that way we can save some of the fabric.”

 

“I will go with you,” both Donghae and Amber said in unison, startling each other for a brief second before they exchanged grins.

 

“Frugal as always, Hyukjae,” Song Qian teased, her finger circling the rim of her glass.

 

Hyukjae grinned. “The fabric we bought is high quality, and there’s no need to make something that I’ve already got.”

 

Zhou Mi stretched, finishing his glass of _bushi_ in one long drink. “I will go with you as well to ensure that the temple priests will not have objections. Song Qian?”

 

She nodded. “I will attend. I do have to admit some curiosity about the area where you were raised,” she said to Hyukjae. “Other engagements can be postponed.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged. “It’s nice, but I probably need to get Mom and see where she stored all of my stuff.”

 

“Let us proceed with that plan before we break orbit from your planet,” Wang Xian said, speaing to Hyukjae. “We will still keep a detachment here in case Zhou Li is treacherous and refutes the peace.”

 

He gave Wang Xian a grateful smile. “Thank you. We’ll be back soon.”

 

 

To Hyukjae, a lot of the ceremonies and rites before the champion battle were similar to Chuseok, but just different enough to keep him vaguely unsettled and disoriented. He kept his hands folded in his lap as he watched Meng Jia, resplendent in a red and gold dress she had borrowed from Wang Fei, bow her head to the floor, her hair pins clinking against the stone.

 

She was in front of a large blueish-white wall with candles flickering all along the expanse, each candle located next to the names of all of the former rulers of the Zhang Empire. Many of the names had smaller honorifics beside them, but that writing was too small for Hyukjae to make out from his vantage point. He shivered slightly as another gust of cold air came in through the non-insulated temple and chilled him briefly before the thermals he had on under his hanbok regulated the temperature against his skin. He was grateful that the rites had little movement to them, since they were literally atop a mountain and the air pressure was much lower, making it feel like much more work to just breathe.

 

He glanced at the priests going through their ritual motions of prayer, then at the small group gathered at the opposite end of the room. Zhou Mi’s hunch about the champion for Zhou Li proved correct as one of his paternal cousins arrived barely after they had. Zhou Wen also looked like Zhou Mi in some ways, like their tall, thin body type, but the differences were there for anyone to see – Zhou Mi’s lips were often curved slightly upwards, and his eyebrows were slightly more defined. Zhou Wen’s hair was longer and gathered into a ponytail, but the most striking difference was one Hyukjae couldn’t really explain.

 

Zhou Wen’s very presence set him on edge, like he was picking up on the true personality lurking behind the image of a dutiful grandson. Zhou Wen had been nothing but polite and deferential whenever Hyukjae had seen him, but there was something about his movements or the tone of his voice or the look in his eyes that told Hyukjae that there was something beyond the front and he couldn’t figure out exactly what it was. Given that they had been largely separated from Zhou Wen’s group, Hyukjae didn’t have all that many interactions to go on and it was such an insubstantial feeling that he didn’t bother to voice it, though he suspected the twins could pick up on his unsettled feeling.

 

The instant Zhou Mi saw his cousin, he gathered Amber and Donghae into a tight hug, whispering something that Hyukjae couldn’t catch into their ears, but he guessed it was something reassuring given the way the twins’ shoulders relaxed. Glancing back towards Meng Jia so he wouldn’t be caught staring, he watched her pay her respects to the former rulers, fulfilling the filial duty that was expected of the leader of the Empire. Her voice was melodic and strong as she proclaimed her own genealogy and achievements, including the passed on discovery of Earth. Hyukjae caught a few of the priests giving her a startled look and reminded himself to ask Zhou Mi later on what that was about.

 

She bowed her head to the floor again, and catching the movement from Zhou Mi, Hyukjae placed his hands on the floor and bowed down, his forehead touching the stone beneath him. He only rose when he heard the rustle of clothing, and was grateful that they were finally getting up from kneeling on the smooth stone floor. His knees were starting to hurt since they had been performing rites most of the day already and he was dearly looking forward to a bath and some time away from all the ceremonial stuff they had been going through.

 

Once back around sea level, they were led back to the suite of rooms that had been set aside for them, and Hyukjae gave a relieved sigh as the door shut behind the priest as he left. A meal had been left for them, and all of them just stayed in their formal clothing to eat quickly while it was still hot.

 

“I have never been so deeply bored with the entire process of rituals as I am now,” Amber grumbled in between bites, the silver color of her hanbok shimmering slightly in the light. Both of the twins had insisted that they be allowed to wear hanboks as well, using the argument that since they also called Hyukjae’s parents mother and father, that they could wear a hanbok instead of formal Zhang Empire robes.

 

“All of us suffer the same affliction,” Song Qian immediately agreed. “The urge to simply proceed with the battle is growing stronger, and our patience is wearing thin. How many more _farn_ will this take?”

 

“The battle will take place after the sunrise,” Zhou Mi replied, his words slow and thoughtful.

 

“You okay?” Hyukjae asked.

 

Zhou Mi sighed. “I am well, merely unsettled that the paternal cousin I was closest to in childhood is going to be the one facing me. I am having difficulty believing that he would uphold our patriarch since he was the one that encouraged me to free the twins.”

 

“Was your patriarch aware of that closeness?” Song Qian asked.

 

“He was aware that I preferred the company of Zhou Wen to Zhou Lu, so yes, it is likely he was aware of that.”

 

She shrugged a shoulder, and Hyukjae wondered if her dress was going to finally fall off her arm. The bright yellow and blue fabric of her dress was barely hanging onto the edges of her shoulders, the back gaping to expose the back of her neck and the upper part of her shoulders, while the front barely covered the swells of her breasts. The time giver’s mark on her forehead was lightly filled in, more to announce her station rather than signaling availability and the tattoo across her shoulders was uncovered as well. “If that closeness was known, it is possible that he was sent unwillingly to further cause you distress.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded slowly. “That is a possibility, and knowing our patriarch, somewhat likely.”

 

Amber hummed for a moment, looking at her twin. “We have picked up that there is more under the surface, but it is not clear to either of us. He does not think anything particularly strongly when we catch glimpses of him and he is very guarded.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded, his long fingers absently playing with a dumpling.

 

Meng Jia reached over and stilled his hands, her dark eyes sorrowful. “Cousin, put it out of your mind for the night. It is difficult, but we will not get an answer to that question until the sun has risen.”

 

He sighed. “You are correct, cousin. I simply wish this to be over already.”

 

“As do we all. The rising of the sun will show if I do indeed hold the Mandate.”

 

“You do,” Donghae said, and Hyukjae smiled when he felt Donghae’s hand sneaking around his waist. “It will be ensured that all know of it.”

 

Song Qian stood, the fabric of her dress rustling as she walked over to where Zhou Mi was sitting. She held out her hand invitingly. “Come. Let us rearrange the sleeping pads to best suit our collective needs and bathe so that we will all be well rested.”

 

“Doctor’s orders?” Hyukjae teased.

 

Song Qian smiled. “Of course. It is within this order,” she said, shooting a glance to Amber, who smiled ruefully, “that I have determined it is within our best emotional interests to choose to sleep all together instead of separately. If it is to be our last night, then I would prefer having done this so that we can face death unflinchingly, knowing how treasured we are to each other.”

 

Hyukjae sighed, reminded starkly of what would happen if Zhou Mi lost. Suicide would probably be the kindest option available to them, given what he could guess about Zhou Li’s personality and motives, and would be expected of all of them. If they couldn’t go through with it, they would be handed over to Zhou Li as traitors and most of the punishments for treason were so horrific Hyukjae preferred not thinking about them. He also preferred not to think about the tearful farewell that they had with his family, not knowing if it would be the last time they all saw each other.

 

“While I doubt that will occur, our cuddle sleeps are enjoyable and provide a more restful sleep for me… when you all are not immersed in sexual urges,” Amber said, her lips twitching.

 

Zhou Mi and Song Qian shared a long look as Zhou Mi stood. Amber squealed softly and tried to shoot off her chair and towards the bath, but Zhou Mi caught her, his long fingers dancing across her ribs and both of them laughing. Hyukjae smiled and tugged Donghae up, basking in his friends teasing and tickling each other and the sound of their laughter echoing through the suite.

 

“Does this happen often?” Meng Jia asked, her lips curved upwards, obviously amused.

 

“All the time,” Hyukjae sagely replied, his humor coming through in his voice.

 

“This does indeed have dire consequences for you,” Donghae said gravely. “You have been invited to our combined sleep. It is an honor rarely accorded.”

 

Meng Jia’s eyes widened. “Consequences?” she asked quietly.

 

Hyukjae leaned down slightly to whisper in her ear. “You’re now one of us and closer than immediate family,” he said, pausing for effect. “We’re a bunch of brats.” He laughed as he picked her up and he and Donghae passed her back and forth on their way towards the bath. Meng Jia was laughing loudly, playfully twisting her way out of their grasp and then running as fast as she could in her shoes and the stiff formal wear.

 

The bath looked more like a large hot tub to Hyukjae, but instead of air bubbling the water, the surface was coated with fragrant flowers and a light sheen of oil that would be washed off with a quick pull-shower that would dump water on them.

 

Hyukjae happily sighed as he relaxed down into the water, the heat soothing sore muscles and joints and warming him up. Sliding a hand around Donghae’s waist, he cuddled close, completely content and for the moment, blanking out the thought of tomorrow. They all chatted about inconsequential things like entertainment broadcasts and fashions, Meng Jia shamelessly fawning over Song Qian’s choices of colors for her dresses, much to Zhou Mi’s delight. Hyukjae supposed that the reaffirmation that she belonged brought out a far more playful and youthful side of her personality, like an ice wall finally thawing with repeated assurance.

 

Hyukjae now could easily understand how she could move through the markets and slums, charming some and ensuring a fierce loyalty from others when she let the refined, elite noblewoman act drop. “I think I like this side of you more,” he commented, somewhat teasing.

 

“I have to agree,” Zhou Mi added. “Your true personality far outshines the modest noblewoman act you seem to be relying on more.”

 

Meng Jia’s straight nose wrinkled slightly. “But I feel as though I am _required_ to act the part or I will not be taken seriously,” she softly confessed.

 

Zhou Mi glided through the water and gathered Meng Jia’s hands in his. “Cousin, you must be yourself. The opinions of others should not mold your personality to be pleasing to them. It is a failing that much of our family succumbs to, and I have been anticipating this moment since you joined us. The true personality of you is the one I asked to take on the Mandate.”

 

She sighed softly. “I will attempt to keep this side of me more visible as we progress on. I dislike the falseness of the act, but it is useful on occasion.”

 

They stayed in the water until their fingers began to prune, enjoying both the silence and the talking, then rinsed the oil off of their skin. The air had a bit of a chill to it, but compared to what they had spent all day in, it was nothing. Dressing in comfortable sleeping clothes, they all piled onto the sleeping pads and Hyukjae smiled as the twins immediately cuddled up with him. Amber’s breath was moist and warm against his neck and her twin stole his with a passionate kiss.

 

“I’m supposed to sleep now?” he whispered against Donghae’s lips as Donghae pulled back slightly.

 

Donghae smiled and his eyes slowly opened. “We will sleep well with everyone tonight. That is merely a reminder that I love and desire you.”

 

Hyukjae smiled, running a hand through Donghae’s hair. “Consider me reminded,” he teased. “I love you. I desire you. I am so glad I met you,” he whispered, punctuating each statement with a short kiss.

 

Donghae threaded their fingers together, all they really needed to say to each other already said.

 

It was hard for all of them to actually go to sleep, and Hyukjae was sure it was their worrying thoughts keeping them all up. Eventually, their conversations trailed off as they started dropping off to sleep, with Hyukjae being one of the last.

 

 

 

When the prayer bell began ringing, Hyukjae was awake almost immediately with a shot of adrenaline speeding his heartbeat until he realized where he was and why it was dark. Taking a few deep breaths, he smiled as Amber woke up growling against his side, and he was sure that her eyes were glowing. Donghae woke up a little calmer than his twin, shuffling closer to Hyukjae and tightening his hold. To anyone, he could have appeared as though he was still asleep, but Hyukjae knew that his lover was fully awake from the hand sneaking down his hip to rest possessively and teasingly.

 

“Whoever devised a tournament this early deserves to be punched,” a soft voice complained. Raising his head up a little and looking over, Hyukjae saw Meng Jia sitting up and brushing the hair out of her face. “Preferably several times.”

 

“You’re the one that called for this,” Song Qian sleepily mumbled, her voice muffled towards the end as she turned over and buried her face in Amber’s shoulder.

 

Meng Jia groaned. “I should punch myself then.”

 

“Go get dressed cousin,” Zhou Mi said, his eyes not even open from what Hyukjae could see before he laid his head back down and closed his eyes. “I will help you with your makeup.”

 

She heaved a sigh, but stood up. “ _Fine_ ,” she whined as she nearly stomped out.

 

Hyukjae enjoyed the silence for a moment before heaving a sigh and sitting up, smiling at the twins growling in stereo. “I know, but we need to get dressed.” Standing, he quickly dressed in pants and a dark tank top, tugging his normal long-sleeved shirt on over it before attaching two weapon holsters to his pants while everyone else dressed.

 

As the retinue, Hyukjae, the twins, and Song Qian would be allowed one ceremonial weapon each, as they would not technically be allowed to fight. The purpose, Hyukjae had been told, was to ensure that the champion would indeed fight. If the champion’s second suspected cowardice, or if the champion fled, or if it even appeared as though there was deception on the champion’s part, it was their position to kill the champion and then take their place. Hyukjae suspected that there was also a far more sinister reason for one of them to be armed with a ranged weapon – there was an inherent risk of the people sent with Zhou Wen not playing fair and attempting to kill them all.

 

“Are you still certain you wish to be the second, Hyukjae?” Zhou Mi asked, his head tilting curiously while Song Qian passed in between them to look in the mirror. Her hand was steady as she gently traced the red cosmetic pencil across the time giver’s mark, slowly shading it in, before applying the same color to her lips, tinting them a brighter red.

 

Hyukjae pulled a gun out of their communal bag, along with a loaded magazine, smiling a little as he remembered Seungchul and Samuel play fighting over which gun to give him. Shoving the magazine into the gun, he chambered a round, and flipped the safety on before holstering on his left side and grabbing his normal weapon to place in the weapon holster on his right. “Yeah,” he said, his voice steady. “I’m sure.” If Zhou Wen did try to cheat, it was up to Hyukjae to kill him, and Hyukjae had no problems with that, which is why he insisted on being the second, knowing that the twins couldn’t. While Song Qian could have been the second, she had declined for reasons she kept to herself and Hyukjae didn’t press for an explanation.

 

Zhou Mi tugged him forward and pressed their foreheads together for a long moment, his long fingers stroking the back of Hyukjae’s neck in a familiar and comforting way. “How fortunate I am that you became family,” Zhou Mi softly muttered as he dropped his head to wrap his arms around Hyukjae.

 

Hyukjae hugged back, nuzzling his face into Zhou Mi’s neck in a wordless affirmation. Hyukjae felt as if he was the truly fortunate one to have been placed into such an accepting group that turned into family while he was lost and stayed family when they found Earth. Giving Zhou Mi a friendly, affectionate kiss, Hyukjae pulled back slightly. “Let’s get your cousin ready and get this shit done with.”

 

Finishing Meng Jia’s hair and makeup didn’t take them long, and before Hyukjae really realized it, they were standing at the side of the challenge area. The area was nothing more than an oval pit dug down into what Hyukjae guessed was solidified magma, which gave the walls a slight sheen, but the edges were almost hard to make out since the softer ground was nearly the same black color to him.

 

“Is the ground the same color as the wall?” he whispered to Donghae.

 

“No,” Donghae answered softly back.

 

“Shit,” he muttered.

 

Donghae glanced at him. “You cannot see the difference?”

 

Hyukjae shook his head. “It’s all solid black to me.”

 

“We are level with the arena area, no steps, but there is a row of sharper rocks at the boundary, pointed into our area with a narrow walking path at the center of our area. Be cautious of those rocks, they will easily tear through your clothing and skin,” Donghae described.

 

Hyukjae relaxed slightly and leaned over to press a kiss to Donghae’s cheek. “Thanks.”

 

Zhou Mi caught the movement and turned his head. “Are you unable to see?”

 

“I can see the walls and floor, but I can’t see the fine details like those rocks, it’s all the same color to me,” Hyukjae quickly explained.

 

“Hopefully you will be able to see more when the sun has risen.”

 

They fell silent as Zhou Wen came into view on the opposite side and a bell rang. Looking up and to his right, he saw Meng Jia appear within the plain observing box, sitting down on the provided low chair. He blinked a couple of times as Meng Xia entered into view to stand regally behind the chair, her hands folded in front of her.

 

“When did your mom get here?” he asked, directing his question to Zhou Mi but not taking his eyes off the observing box.

 

“ _What_?” Zhou Mi exclaimed, whipping his head around to look.

 

Meng Xia seemed to notice the instant they saw her since she raised her chin slightly, but did not move other than that.

 

“How did she…” Zhou Mi muttered, shock blanking his face.

 

“She must have just arrived,” Amber said. “It matters not how she arrived, but she is here now.”

 

Zhou Mi sighed heavily. “You are correct, Amber. I will express my concern to her after this is over.”

 

Hyukjae’s lips twitched upwards, wondering how that confrontation between two very stubborn people would go. Movement in the arena floor caught his attention and he watched the small delegation of priests walk to the center with slow, careful steps. Once there, one priest went towards Zhou Wen while another came towards them.

 

“The challenge has been called for and accepted,” the priest still in the center intoned, and Hyukjae noticed white lights turning on around the arena, giving him a rough idea of scale. The priest that had come towards them touched something on the side of the arena and the volume from the center of the arena amplified. Hyukjae noticed Amber’s quick wince before her face smoothed and she shifted position slightly to stand just off to the side and behind Donghae, letting her twin’s body provide a muffling effect.

 

“Meng Jia, you have claimed the Mandate and nominated your champion. You are prepared?” the priest closest to them asked.

 

“Yes,” she replied from the observer’s box, her voice projected into their area.

 

“Champion, you are prepared to fight with honor for the Mandate?”

 

“I am,” Zhou Mi replied instantly.

 

“Second, you are prepared to take the champion’s place?”

 

“Yes,” Hyukjae answered, resting both of his hands on the holstered weapons.

 

“Champions, step in and be marked,” the priest in the center said.

 

Zhou Mi took a deep breath and stepped into the arena. Hyukjae looked over, meeting the eyes of Zhou Wen’s second unflinchingly before blinking and turning his attention to the building drama in the center.

 

“Wen,” Zhou Mi said with a slight nod of his head.

 

“Mi,” Zhou Wen replied in a familiar fashion.

 

Hyukjae noticed that the cousins were similarly tall and thin now that they were side by side, and he could easily mistake them for brothers instead of cousins. He wondered if their other cousin also shared similar characteristics.

 

“They all look similar,” Amber said quietly, peeking around Donghae’s body. “The Zhou males are as nearly modified as what we are to ensure the continuation of the marker from Zhou Li.”

 

Hyukjae’s eyebrows raised in surprise, not having thought that there was anything aside from a family resemblance to why they all looked alike. “They had treatments too?” he whispered.

 

“No, Zhou Mi told us that they had been modified before birth to ensure that they had the marker and that is why there are so few male heirs. They are simply the ones that survived the process.”

 

“Wow,” Hyukjae muttered, his soft exclamation covered by the sound of the priest in the center invoking the Empire’s ancestors to show the proper holder of the Mandate. The brightening light of the sun beginning to rise shifted the color of the ground slightly, just enough to where he could tell the difference between it and the walls. The shimmer across the smoothed surface of the walls moved slightly, and though it wasn’t a monumental change, Hyukjae could roughly make out shadows appearing on the ground, letting him know where the sharp rocks were. He noticed Song Qian shift slightly, her head tilting up. She grimaced as she gathered her hair, twisting it quickly into a messy bun on the top of her head.

 

“Hot?” he asked quietly.

 

“It will be,” she muttered. “I will observe you so that you may attend to your duty.”

 

As the reddish sun rose quickly over the horizon and the bells began to ring to start combat, Hyukjae could only watch and pray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, reviews and kudos are appreciated


	18. the space between here and there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we're done. smutty smut in the middle.

The fight was progressing very slowly, both Zhou Mi and Zhou Wen apparently evenly matched. Hyukjae was guessing that Zhou Mi was fighting far more conservatively than what he was capable of so he could determine if Zhou Wen was an unwilling pawn or not. He only checked on them rarely since his trust in Zhou Mi was unshakable and firm, and kept his eye on Zhou Wen’s second more. The soft grunts that were broadcast into their area didn’t really concern him, but the rising ambient temperature did.

 

The sweat that was beginning to form along his hairline and on the upper portion of his lip was slightly annoying, but he didn’t feel as if he was in danger of overheating, and he was grateful that Song Qian was watching him so that he could concentrate.

 

Even still, he knew that too much longer out in the sun with no water and no shade could overheat him very quickly.

 

Glancing over, he could make out the bright speck of the sun still rising in the sky, already having cleared the horizon. He guessed that the fight had been going on for about an hour already and it showed no signs of ending soon.

 

“Your form still needs work.”

 

Hyukjae blinked, his attention going back to the center of the combat ring.

 

“I will note that for future reference,” Zhou Wen replied formally, his voice stiff. There was something off about him, but Hyukjae still couldn’t hazard a guess as to what it was even though it commanded his attention.

 

“That’s no moon, it’s a space station,” he mumbled to himself before glancing around again.

 

He returned his gaze to the center of the arena area once more when he heard the irritable sigh.

 

“You lecture me on forms, yet you are ignoring all other lessons that were drilled into you as heir,” Zhou Wen snapped, sweat running down his face. “You are throwing away all of your training and your forms are so odd that you obviously _still_ had everything handed to you instead of _fighting_ for it.”

 

“Jealousy from a young age,” Amber said, her eyes starting to glow and narrowing. “His shield is loosening.”

 

Hyukjae glanced from Amber to Donghae, noticing that Donghae’s eyes were quickly turning blue. The twins stared intently at Zhou Wen, who was apparently cracking apart. If Hyukjae thought he could spare the few seconds, he would have rolled his eyes expressively, but as it was, he wondered how he’d gotten into the middle of a drama plot.

 

As long as Zhou Mi was the male lead, Hyukjae could work with it.

 

Amber growled right as Hyukjae noticed the sucker punch headed for Zhou Mi’s face. Now he did roll his eyes, but he was grateful that _something_ was happening. Taking his left hand off the gun, he reached over to rest his hand on Amber’s arm as both a soothing gesture and a warning, trusting her to keep Donghae restrained. The cousins in the center of the ring began trading blows, wrestling each other to the ground. This was Zhou Mi’s fight and they couldn’t interfere with it. Hyukjae noticed Zhou Mi was still playing more defensively than anything else, blocking blows aiming for his face or his ribs.

 

Zhou Wen was the first to scramble to his feet, and he delivered a kick to Zhou Mi’s ribs that had Hyukjae wincing. He wasn’t concerned – yet – that Zhou Mi couldn’t continue the fight, but with a second kick, Hyukjae was tempted to just go in there himself.

 

“Come on Mimi,” he muttered quietly, using the affectionate, familiar nickname to soothe himself.

 

Zhou Mi blocked the third kick and used the leverage he had on Zhou Wen’s leg to shove the other man back onto the ground, and Hyukjae saw him take in two heaving, deep breaths.

 

“What is your problem?” Zhou Mi snapped as he stood back up, and Hyukjae couldn’t help the amused snort of laughter. Everyone on the crew had their own favorite Earth phrases that they had picked up from Hyukjae, but he hadn’t expected to hear it there and then. “How have I injured you?” he continued, a hand curling unconsciously over his ribs.

“How have I injured you,” Zhou Wen repeated, his voice mocking. “You exist,” he growled, delivering another punch to Zhou Mi’s face. “I am your elder, but I am forced to kneel to you. Only when you were thrown out did I obtain my _rightful_ place as heir.”

 

With that, Zhou Wen launched into a flying tackle that sent them both back to the ground, and Hyukjae winced at the sound of Zhou Mi getting the wind knocked out of him before he threw out a leg and sent them into a roll along the ground.

 

“Then you went to that backwater tribute planet, and you ruined _every_ plan we spent so many cycles perfecting with your asinine little rebellion.”

 

Hyukjae was pretty certain he heard a vague ‘what plans’ in between the sound of slapping skin of punches being traded. His eyebrows arched when Zhou Mi suddenly threw his head forward in a brutal head butt, one that had Zhou Wen scrambling back, cursing as his lower lip split. Much to Hyukjae’s disappointment, it didn’t look like Zhou Wen’s nose was broken, even though a small trickle of blood was seeping out. It was only when Zhou Mi was pinned back against the ground and deflecting punches as best as he could that Zhou Wen spoke again.

 

“You. Ruin. _Everything_ ,” Zhou Wen snapped, emphasizing each word with a punch. “It took us _cycles_ to get those slaves into the palace.”

 

“Lord Wen!”

 

Hyukjae started badly, suddenly realizing he had forgotten all about Zhou Wen’s second in favor of watching the main area. With a quick glance, he shifted position slightly, noticing the burn in his muscles from being held still for far too long.

 

Then Zhou Wen’s words came back into his mind. _It took us cycles to get those slaves into the palace._ His eyes went wide and he drew in a breath quickly. “Did he just…?” he asked softly.

 

“Planned,” Amber growled, moving forward and almost entering the arena. “They planned the overthrow. Twin and I were to be _used_.”

 

Hyukjae wrapped an arm around Amber, the disgust and hatred boiling in his blood, but he had to keep Amber inside their area. Zhou Mi seemed to have come to the same conclusion that the rest of them had, rolling backwards and getting to his feet. “You encouraged me to free them,” he hissed, a few drops of blood flying out of his mouth.

 

Zhou Wen stood up as well, spitting blood and saliva down on the ground. “Those two?” he said dismissively, gesturing vaguely to Amber and Donghae. “They outlived their usefulness. How did it matter how they were disposed of? Grandfather exiling you was merely an added benefit.”

 

“Okay fuck it,” Hyukjae muttered, dropping his arm from Amber.

 

Zhou Mi stilled, blinking slowly, his arms hanging at his sides as he straightened his back. “You are no family of mine,” he stated slowly, his voice calm. “I will not be associated with usurpers and murderers, filth that enslaves and shames themselves to gain power that is undeserved.”

 

“Undeserved?” Zhou Wen spat. “The only power undeserved is power that is not _used_. You are too soft to rule, and I have always known that. Why else would you hide behind that _girl_?”

 

“So that I do not become you,” Zhou Mi said, his voice clear with distaste. “I would rather hide behind her and maintain my honor than rule through dishonor and fear.”

 

Zhou Wen yelled inarticulately, rushing forward with his fist raised. Zhou Mi showed no concern before he dropped and rolled, tripping Zhou Wen into the ground. Hyukjae smiled slightly, knowing that Zhou Mi was finally fighting wholeheartedly. Zhou Mi caught the next punch and easily deflected it, spinning smoothly under the arm and delivering a kick that had Hyukjae wincing from the sound of bones breaking, broadcast clearly into their area. Hyukjae watched both of them fall to the ground, Zhou Mi landing on top of Zhou Wen and delivering an elbow that definitely broke a nose, a palm strike that loosened teeth, and a knee to already broken ribs. Hyukjae watched impassively and had an internal debate if he wanted to try and interrupt the onslaught before Zhou Mi killed Zhou Wen.

 

Just as suddenly, Zhou Mi stopped and looked up towards the observer box. “The decision is yours, Empress,” he said loudly as he stood.

 

Hyukjae looked up as well. Meng Jia had stood up at some point, one hand on top of the other as they rested on the cinched belt that held her dress together. She slowly reached out, twisting her palm upwards.

 

“The mark of a just ruler,” a priest declared, a contingent of other priests stepping inside the combat area. Zhou Wen lay motionless on the ground, only the slight movement of his chest indicating that he was still alive. Zhou Mi shook his head once and stepped towards them.

 

“We can go in now, right?” he asked aloud, watching with worry as Zhou Mi stumbled a little on his way back to them.

 

Amber didn’t wait for an answer, she sprinted forward, moving just a second before Donghae did. Hyukjae knew something was wrong as she didn’t slow down and tackled Zhou Mi, twisting their bodies around before they landed hard on the ground.

 

“ _Twin_ ,” Donghae cried, the panic and terror nearly causing Hyukjae’s heart to stop. He smoothly pulled his weapon, aiming it at Zhou Wen, who was sitting up and smiling, blood dripping out of his mouth. Flicking his eyes over, he saw the handle of a glow knife sticking out of Amber’s back.

 

He pulled the trigger as he glanced back to Zhou Wen. He didn’t feel any satisfaction or remorse as Zhou Wen’s body fell back down, missing half of his head.

 

Song Qian rushed past him, her hair falling down, and he shifted, aiming at Zhou Wen’s second, who was halfway through drawing his own weapon. “Throw it down on the ground,” he yelled, knowing his voice would project.

 

It was shocking, and yet not at the same time, when Zhou Wen’s second drew his weapon, pointed it at his head and fired.

 

Hyukjae lowered his weapon, his fingers feeling numb. Shunting his emotions, he rushed over to where Amber was still lying on the ground.

 

“ _Donghae_ ,” Song Qian barked. “I know you are upset, but I need space.”

 

Hyukjae reached down and pulled Donghae up. “It’s me,” he whispered quickly, wrapping his arms firmly around Donghae to keep him still. Even still, Donghae struggled against his hold, trying desperately to get back to his twin. Hyukjae could hear Amber trying to breathe in shallow, short gasps that made her chest rasp disturbingly with the effort and it made Hyukjae’s skin crawl just hearing it. Song Qian leaned down, placing her ear against Amber’s back.

 

“I need to get her back to the ship immediately,” Song Qian said, raising back up.

 

“Is she able to be healed?” Meng Jia asked as she walked quickly into the combat area, her hands holding her dress up enough to not scrape along the ground.

 

“Yes,” Song Qian replied. “But we need transportation back to our vessel before she reaches a point where she cannot be healed.”

 

“Her death would be a dishonor,” one of the priests said suddenly, startling all of them. “Time giver, you are welcome to use our healing place for the duration of the emergency.”

 

“I thank you. Is there a blanket available to transport?”

 

“I will return to the temple –“

 

“Here,” Meng Jia said, her hands working on the belt of her dress.

 

“Jia,” Meng Xia hissed, scandalized.

 

“Aunt, I am wearing at least three layers of clothing, I will not be rendered naked by taking one off, and I will _not_ allow someone to die if I am able to assist.”

 

Hyukjae snorted slightly at the near sarcastic comment. Meng Jia was indeed wearing a robe under her dress, and she quickly wrestled the outer layer off, helping Song Qian to spread it on the ground next to Amber. Donghae was still struggling against his hold, but it was weaker than when Hyukjae had first grabbed him. Zhou Mi and the priest gently lifted Amber to slide her onto the open dress, keeping her on her stomach.

 

Two other priests arrived with a metal pole, and the dress was tied quickly to it, making it a makeshift sling. The priests lifted Amber and began leaving the arena.

 

“Twin,” Donghae softly said, and Hyukjae’s heart nearly broke from the mournful tone.

 

Song Qian rested her hand on Donghae’s arm. “Donghae. I will heal her. Please stay here with Hyukjae and Zhou Mi so that I may concentrate fully on healing.”

 

Donghae slumped against Hyukjae. “Yes,” he said quietly, all of the fight drained from him.

 

Song Qian kissed his cheek, then rushed off, following the priests.

 

“She’s going to be fine,” Hyukjae said, trying to reassure them both.

 

Donghae slowly turned in his arms and buried his head in Hyukjae’s shoulder with a sad noise. Hyukjae ran the fingers of one hand through Donghae’s hair while the other rested gently on Donghae’s lower back. He wasn’t surprised when Zhou Mi’s long arms wrapped around him, both of them hugging Donghae to comfort him.

 

“She knew the treachery before I did,” Donghae sniffled.

 

“I am grateful that she did know, but I dislike that she was injured because of it,” Zhou Mi replied softly.

 

Donghae took a shuddering breath in and let it out slowly. “I know.”

 

Hyukjae caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye and looked over to see Meng Jia hesitantly reaching out and stopping before biting her lower lip and resting her hand on Donghae’s shoulder.

 

“I am confident in Song Qian’s abilities,” she said, her voice reassuring.

 

“As we all are,” Zhou Mi replied. “The trauma of fear and worry can blunt that knowledge for a moment, and it is a good thing to be reminded of.”

 

“Empress Jia.”

 

Hyukjae jerked his head around to see an elderly priest waiting to be acknowledged.

 

Meng Jia turned, her chin rising slightly as if daring anyone to say something about her state of dress.

 

“Compassion for others, even those who wish you harm, is the mark of an esteemed ruler. You have shown courage, strength, and compassion. You have discarded glamor for the life of a tribute slave–“

 

“ _Amber_ is a freed woman,” Meng Jia interrupted, her voice firm. “There will be no slaves under my rule.”

 

Hyukjae saw several priests gape at her, while the elderly one merely continued on with a nod of his head. “The blessings of wisdom and guidance have combined with the Mandate to show that you hold it. All who have seen are witness to your courage and certainty in your champion.”

 

Meng Jia nodded her head slightly.

 

“Champion Zhou Mi.”

 

Zhou Mi sighed and disentangled himself from their hug, turning to face the priest.

 

“The House of Zhou has been disgraced by the actions of Zhou Li, crimes that are unforgivable and dishonorable. It is with regret that the House of Zhou is declared extinct and dead, any members of that lamentable House scattered and nameless.”

 

Zhou Mi nodded. “I understand.”

 

“However, your actions have been most honorable. You fought with valor and others hold you in high regard. You have performed appropriate rites towards the ancestors of both the Empire and of your former House, and in deference to the honorable ancestors that ended with Zhou Wei and his wife Li Yaling, we declare the founding of the House of Zhou with you, Zhou Mi. You have proven your worth and your honor as a dutiful son.”

 

“His father,” Meng Xia said. “Zhou Jie gave his life to protect his child from the machinations that corrupted that one,” she finished with a jerk of her head towards Zhou Wen’s body. “My husband should not be without his honor and name as he moves along with the ancestors. I will go through any trial to prove my claim true.”

 

The elderly priest was silent for a moment. “The House of Meng is honest and forthright. Your claim is accepted as truth without delay. Zhou Mi, son of Zhou Jie, you may take pride in your name and in your House. Your offspring will maintain that honor after we have all moved along to be with the ancestors.”

 

Zhou Mi bowed from the waist. “I thank you for that recognition and the remembrance of my father.”

 

“The ancestors have shown their favor towards your claim to the Mandate, Empress. Arrive at Yangshi with our blessings as the Imperial procession.”

 

Meng Jia nodded her head slightly. “We will travel to Yangshi as soon as Amber may travel with us.”

 

“As is your wish, Empress.”

 

“Come, let us see of Song Qian’s progress,” Meng Jia said as she moved towards the direction Amber had been carried off.

 

Hyukjae threaded his fingers together with Donghae’s as they walked back to the temple in silence, following Meng Jia. Once directed, they all settled themselves against the walls in the hallway connected to the medical center in preparation for a long wait. Hyukjae kept his hand in Donghae’s, to provide comfort not only for Donghae, but also himself. As time passed, Donghae snuggled into his side, rubbing his cheek against Hyukjae’s shoulder.

 

He was actually surprised – and worried – when Song Qian appeared after less than a standard. “Amber will recover well,” she said, directing her words to Donghae. “She is able to be transported back to the ship now.”

 

Donghae breathed out, sagging against Hyukjae in relief. With the confirmation that Amber would be okay, Hyukjae felt all of the emotions that he had shunted off rush back. He felt joy, relief, sorrow, and hatred all mix together within him, leaving him both spent and full of energy that he just knew was going to dump right into his sex drive. But everything could wait for Amber. “Is she awake?” Hyukjae asked.

 

“No, but she has a high chance of waking before we get back to the ship, so I will need to administer pain relief immediately on our arrival.”

 

Hyukjae nodded and stood up, helping Donghae stand as well. He only relaxed slightly when he saw Amber, her chest rising and falling steadily and her eyes closed as she was carried onto their ship in the makeshift sling she had been carried off in. He knew that Donghae would be in no condition to fly and Song Qian would be monitoring Amber while they were in flight. As soon as Amber was settled into place, he kissed Donghae’s cheek and went to snag the main piloting chair.

 

The soothing, steady motions of preparing the ship for flight helped Hyukjae calm down from the massive emotional rush he had just been through, but his hands were still a little shaky. Zhou Mi dropped heavily into the other chair, his face still bloody and starting to swell in different spots.

 

“Can you still see?” Hyukjae asked.

 

Zhou Mi’s lips twitched upwards. “Yes, but unknown for how much longer.”

 

Hyukjae smiled. “In that case, let’s get back quickly so I don’t have to try and fly by myself.” With the brief moment of levity and a quick look to make sure the priests were well clear of the landing area, Hyukjae boosted power to the engines. Wang Xian’s flagship was still in orbit around Changan’s moon, and within what Hyukjae guessed to be fifteen minutes, he was dropping the ship onto the flight deck a little clumsily. It definitely wasn’t one of his better parking jobs, but given everything they had just been through and that his copilot had taken more than a few blows to the head, he felt it was perfectly fine.

 

Rising up out of the pilot chair, he walked quickly back to where Amber had been placed. True to Song Qian’s prediction, Amber was awake and alert, but with her eyebrows drawn together and the corners of her mouth turned down, he guessed that she was in pain.

 

“Twin, I appreciate your concern for my health, but your thoughts are not conductive to my healing,” Amber snapped. “Please adjourn with Hyukjae for at least two standards while I sleep and recover without sexual desires waking me.”

 

“Yeah, you’re going to be fine,” Hyukjae joked. “And if I’m right, you just told your brother to fuck off.”

 

“With an emphasis on the _fuck_ ,” Amber immediately replied. “The desire to reaffirm your continued existence is strong after stressful incidents. It is something that is expected and accepted. I am in pain and not able to control my senses as much as I normally am able to, which renders me extremely uncomfortable when everyone around me is very _loud_ with sexual desires.”

 

Song Qian ran a soothing hand over Amber’s hair. “It will only be intolerable for a short time more,” she assured. “Are you able to walk?”

 

Amber nodded. “It is still very uncomfortable to breathe, but I believe I am able to walk.”

 

“You are still resting face down,” Song Qian pointed out.

 

Amber hummed a wordless agreement, her hand reaching out and latching onto Donghae’s. Donghae suddenly smiled and nuzzled his nose affectionately against her hair before leaning forward and whispering something too soft for Hyukjae to hear. Hyukjae felt the spark of desire flare within him as he looked at Donghae, and he averted his attention out of deference to Amber’s lowered mental shields, reminding himself that it wouldn’t be too much longer before he would be alone with Donghae.

 

“Need any help getting up?” he asked Amber, who had started softly growling out of reflex.

 

“Yes,” she answered, trying to leverage herself up with one hand.

 

“Avoid compressing her chest,” Song Qian advised as Hyukjae stepped closer. “I do not want her lung to spontaneously collapse due to pressure.”

 

“Okay, Donghae, if you’ll lift her shoulders, I’ll pull up from her waist and try to get her up that way,” Hyukjae said, working his hands under Amber’s stomach, closer to her hips than her chest as Donghae got his arms under Amber’s. With some additional help from Meng Jia and Song Qian, they were able to get Amber standing, though she was more leaning against Song Qian than standing on her own.

 

Sweat had broken out along Amber’s upper lip and a few tears had escaped since it wasn’t an entirely painless process. Her legs were wobbling as she tried to stand up straighter and on her own. Hyukjae saw her swallow harshly a few times, her skin going ashen.

 

“I will carry you there, twin,” Donghae said, stepping closer to her and turning around, meaning to get Amber onto his back.

 

With a groan of defeat, Amber sagged against Donghae’s back, her right arm reaching up and over Donghae’s shoulder to anchor herself. Hyukjae helped to lift her and wrap her legs around Donghae’s waist, getting both twins steady as Zhou Mi stumbled back towards them. Surprisingly, not only was all of his family waiting on them as they came down the ramp, but so were Samuel and Seungchul, a large group of the special forces teams, Wang Fei, Wang Xian and thankfully, a medical crew. Helping Amber onto the medical sled from Donghae’s back, Hyukjae kept himself busy enough to ignore the itch under his skin for the moment, and he felt fortunate that he caught the conflicted look on his mother’s face as they started moving Amber out of the flight deck.

 

“Mom, why don’t you all go with her? It’ll keep her calmer to have familiar faces that she trusts, and it’ll let her get more sleep than what she would get if she was on guard because she doesn’t know anyone.”

 

“So why aren’t you going then?” Sora asked.

 

Hyukjae closed his eyes for a moment in embarrassment before opening them to stare at her. “Because in her words, Donghae and I are too _volatile_ to be around at the moment.”

 

Sora’s mouth gaped open and color flooded her cheeks. “Oh. Sorry,” she said, wincing.

 

“We’ll go with Amber, but come find us when you’re both… presentable,” Deokbon said with an embarrassed smile, gesturing for his father and sister to follow.

 

“Well that was embarrassing,” he muttered to himself as Donghae wrapped an arm around his waist.

 

“Embarrassing, but accurate,” Donghae pointed out. “We should leave before others inquire about our plans,” he whispered in Hyukjae’s ear.

 

Hyukjae could almost feel his eyes dilating as he realized he didn’t have to hold himself back anymore. He felt the euphoric rush move through him, knowing that they had truly won their lives and futures from the uncertainty and danger of being wanted criminals on the run. “Yeah,” he replied slowly. “Let’s go.”

 

Leaving the crush of people was far easier than Hyukjae could have imagined and it was a short walk to their ship, their home. The ship was silent and dark as they stepped onboard, but as soon as the ship recognized life signs, the lights began turning on and brightening slowly to allow their eyes time to adjust. Hyukjae caught Donghae’s hand as they walked through the ship and held it, focusing on the details of Donghae’s skin against his. Finally arriving at the prison level, they stepped through the open prison door.

 

Hyukjae immediately relaxed; the comfort of their ship, their room, Donghae’s hand in his, and the knowledge that everyone was safe soothed any remaining hints of fear or anxiety. They had barely stepped into their cell room when Donghae pulled him close and pressed their lips together. Looping his arms around Donghae’s neck, Hyukjae parted his lips, his tongue rubbing sensually against Donghae’s as they kissed and shifted closer. They only parted to strip their clothes off and step onto their sleeping pad once they were naked.

 

Donghae was already very aroused, and Hyukjae licked his lips as he glanced down. Trailing his fingers down Donghae’s body, he sank to his knees. They had _time_ now, and Hyukjae smiled as he moved forward, wrapping his lips around the head of Donghae’s dick, and he savored the moan that came from above him. Bobbing his head lightly, he moaned himself as the distinctive taste of Donghae spread along his tongue. Moving his head faster, he closed his eyes and sucked his cheeks in, providing suction. Donghae’s fingers anchored in his hair and Hyukjae groaned in both relief and desire as Donghae’s hips began moving slightly.

 

“You are gorgeous like this,” Donghae whispered, his voice reverent.

 

Hyukjae fluttered his eyes open and looked up at Donghae. Pushing his head forward, he sucked hard while maintaining eye contact, his body beginning to throb with remembered sensations. Donghae ran his hands through Hyukjae’s hair, his blunt nails softly scraping along his scalp. With the next moan from Donghae, Hyukjae pulled back and laid down, pillowing his head on his arms.

 

Donghae sank to his knees, running his hands up Hyukjae’s legs, slowly parting them.

 

“We have time,” Hyukjae said as both assurance and a promise.

 

Donghae grinned, his glowing blue eyes meeting Hyukjae’s. “Yes we do. We have time for everything now.”

 

“Want anything in particular right now?” Hyukjae offered. “Because I’m up for anything that involves sex.”

 

Donghae giggled, lying down beside him and rubbing a sure hand across Hyukjae’s torso. He bit his lip invitingly, a playful, teasing look going over his features. “Well…”

 

Hyukjae raised his eyebrows. “Oh, this should be promising,” he teased. “Fantasy you’ve had for a while?”

 

Donghae nodded. “I want you to fuck me but do not let me come – because as soon as you do, I will take my time with you until you are as desperate as I am.”

 

Hyukjae shivered, Donghae’s fantasy clearly playing out in his mind. “Why haven’t we done that yet?” he teased. “That sounds absolutely fantastic, if a little skewed in my favor with three orgasms to one.”

 

Donghae’s smile was wolfish and sharp. “I have not mentioned this fantasy to you before because you will not be walking properly after I am finished, and you would not be able to move properly for any battle.”

 

“Oh,” he breathed as he got exactly what Donghae meant. “ _Oh_.” Giggling out of both nervousness and excitement, he nodded. “Yes please.” The thought of Donghae sliding wetly into him, stretching him with his dick after he had already come and was still sensitive, was such an exciting thought that the more he thought about it that it overrode any nervousness. He trusted Donghae, trusted that Donghae would take care of him and wouldn’t leave him hurt, and trusted Donghae to stop if it was too much for him.

 

“Do not think that it is inherently unfair to me either. I enjoy watching your face as you orgasm and feeling your thoughts and emotions surround me,” Donghae said with a sultry smirk.

 

Hyukjae raised his eyebrows quickly. “Maybe we should get on with that.”

 

Donghae laughed and tugged Hyukjae to roll over and on top of him. Hyukjae leaned down and kissed Donghae, one of his hands reaching over habitually for the lubricant. He felt Donghae’s legs part and firm, muscular thighs wrap around his hips. Hyukjae snickered into Donghae’s mouth and rose up on his knees. Pouring some of the lubricant onto his fingers, he reached down and immediately slid two fingers into Donghae.

 

Donghae arched up, his hips leaving the sleeping pad and a loud moan leaving his throat. Hyukjae couldn’t help but watch, thinking that Donghae was the most gorgeous person he’d ever laid eyes on. He spread his fingers apart, stretching Donghae open enough to be able to easily slide in, then smoothed the lubricant over his dick with his free hand. As he pulled his fingers out of Donghae’s body, Donghae opened his eyes, fully blue. Donghae reached down and grabbed one of his legs, holding himself up and open. Hyukjae grinned as he leaned down, softly nudging Donghae’s sphincter with his dick and feeling the reflexive clench before he slid right in, sighing at the searing heat.

 

Pulling out, he thrust back inside Donghae with a groan, his eyes closing at the pleasurable sensation. He opened his eyes when he felt Donghae’s fingers brushing along his arm.

 

“Okay?” he asked softly, nuzzling the side of Donghae’s neck.

 

“I am well, just enjoying watching you.”

 

Hyukjae felt the mix of desire and love splash through him, and the determination to give Donghae his fantasy shot through him. Groaning, he thrust into Donghae, the driving intent to come taking over and gasped with the pleasure of it all.

 

“Donghae,” he whined as he felt his orgasm coming.

 

“Yes, my love,” Donghae whispered to him, cradling the back of his head with his hand.

 

He felt his hips stutter before the hot, searing feeling of an orgasm burn through him, dulling his senses and making his entire body throb. Curling his fingers into Donghae’s skin, he moaned almost brokenly as he felt the spent, empty, and stated sensations he associated with an orgasm. Feeling his arms give out, he softly collapsed onto Donghae, absently noticing Donghae’s dick, still hard, pressed in between their bodies.

 

He was still practically a lump when Donghae arched his hips, and he had enough presence of mind to pull out of Donghae, feeling disappointed at the loss of the tight heat, but knowing something better was coming. Donghae easily rolled them over, Hyukjae’s legs splaying out. Raising his leg as he felt Donghae rise up, he cracked his eyes open, drinking in the sight of Donghae’s body and his hand working a decent amount of lubricant over his dick. Taking in a couple of deep, heaving breaths, he lifted his hips slightly, getting his back into a more comfortable position and trying to relax his muscles.

 

“Still want this?” Donghae asked, his head tilting slightly.

 

“Oh yes,” Hyukjae breathed. He wanted it so badly, wanted the slow spreading of his body, the heavy weight, wanted to ride that fine line between pleasure and pain, especially since he was so sensitive. “I want this so much. I’m going to feel you inside me for so many _farn_ ,” he breathed.

 

Donghae snorted out a quick laugh, and leaned back down. “Yes you will,” he promised.

 

Hyukjae kept taking deep breaths as he felt the wet tip of Donghae’s dick start to push at his sphincter. He whined as Donghae pulled back slightly, then pushed forward, going a little further and opening Hyukjae just a little more. Donghae kept that process up until the head of his dick slid inside, making Hyukjae gasp and arch his back from the sensation. It was both relieving and painful, and he took a few deep breaths. Donghae was thankfully still as Hyukjae tried to adjust, trying to make his muscles relax against the intrusion.

 

Donghae tilted his head down and lapped at Hyukjae’s nipples, making pleasurable warmth begin to spread through him. Running his fingers through Donghae’s hair, he basked in the attention and he began registering the pleasure from the stretch of his body and the slightly rough tongue lapping at his nipples. He felt amazing, so in the moment, and he drifted his own fingers up and down his body a few times before wrapping his still somewhat slick hand around his slowly hardening dick. He moaned approvingly as Donghae pushed forward slightly and then stilled.

 

Donghae kept moving so slowly and deliberately that it was quickly driving Hyukjae to desperation. When Donghae was finally all the way inside him, both of them stilled. Hyukjae felt incredibly full, incredibly loved, and incredibly desperate to orgasm again. He saw Donghae grin as he felt the slow pull out that had him whining, feeling so empty and open that he couldn’t wait to be filled back up. Which Donghae did with agonizing slowness. Though Donghae did speed up a little with each thrust, it wasn’t enough for how desperate Hyukjae was feeling.

 

“Donghae _please_ ,” he begged. He screamed when Donghae did as he asked and started quickly thrusting within him, the pleasure bursting in his veins.

 

“That is what I wanted to hear,” Donghae growled into his ear. “I love hearing you beg for this, begging for–“ His voice suddenly broke into a loud cry, his body stiffening up. Hyukjae clawed at the sleeping pad, screaming at the pleasure of the hard knot right against his prostate, his second orgasm washing over him just as suddenly as Donghae’s had. He felt the wetness spreading along his stomach; his chest and arms catching Donghae, bringing him close.

 

His legs were shaky as they wrapped around Donghae’s waist, the pleasure almost too much for him to take. Donghae felt so large and hard within him, his body stretched around him, and he could feel every little twitch of their combined bodies. He smiled at the feel of Donghae’s hot breath against his neck, the small moans coming from his lover’s throat and mixing with contented growls. He didn’t know how he would survive his third orgasm, given how sensitive every single part of his body felt, but he couldn’t wait to find out.

 

“I love you,” he whispered, his arms tightening with as much strength as he could muster.

 

Donghae’s eyes were still blue as he looked up, but the brown was beginning to seep back in. “You have my love, my affection, my everything. As much as you are mine, I am yours,” he replied, his voice soft and reverent. “I love you so much, Hyukjae.”

 

Hyukjae nuzzled his nose against Donghae’s. “I’m glad we have that established,” he teased.

 

Donghae chuckled. “Drop your left leg so we can roll over.”

 

Hyukjae moaned as they rolled onto their sides, and he adjusted his position, moving his hips forward and hitching his leg up higher on Donghae’s waist. His closed his eyes as Donghae’s fingers stroked through his hair, happiness spreading through him.

 

He suspected that his two previous orgasms made him take a little longer to get worked up, but his third orgasm was so sweet and satisfying that he nearly immediately fell asleep against Donghae. He didn’t even wake up when Donghae pulled out, but when he did wake up, he felt pleasurably sore and yet achingly empty with Donghae asleep next to him. Closing his eyes again, he dropped back off into sleep.

 

 

They had apparently jumped right towards Yangshi almost as soon as he had landed the ship on board. By the time he and Donghae woke up from their post coital sleep by a very noisy Sora, stomping through the prison level with her fingers in her ears and her eyes closed, they were almost there. True to what Donghae had promised, he was definitely not walking correctly, wobbling with every step and weaving a path more than walking it. He held onto Donghae’s hand, bumping into him often, and swearing that he could feel Donghae still lodged within him.

 

“Would you like to be carried?” Donghae asked as they walked down the hallway towards their ship’s flight deck.

 

Hyukjae laughed. “No, I’m kind of enjoying this. Although if anyone puts up a fight, I’m going to be very unhappy with them.”

 

Donghae snorted. “As will I, but the Imperial Guards will respect the decision of the Mandate, as they have for dynasties now. If they are… like me, then Zhou Mi can easily command them, though he will be displeased about it.”

 

“Yeah he won’t be happy about that, but hopefully everyone will just open the door and let us in.”

 

“It will be satisfying to see Empress Jia sit upon the throne.”

 

Hyukjae shrugged a little. “Yeah, but that’s when the hard work starts. This is all superficial stuff.”

 

Donghae tilted his head slightly. “Yes, but that is why Empress Jia appointed us as the Imperial Hand. We will ensure that the hard work that is necessary is done.”

 

“It’s nice to have a legitimate job now,” he joked as they walked onto the flight deck

 

“I agree,” Amber replied from the second pilot chair. “It will keep us busy, but not in as much danger.”

 

Hyukjae walked to her and kissed her forehead. “Good morning to you too, sunshine. How are you feeling?”

 

“Well rested and in far less pain,” she answered, the corners of her lips turning up. “Thank you for sending your family to be with me as I rested.”

 

“I’m glad it helped, and thanks for the excuse to get away from everyone quickly.”

 

Amber huffed, then winced. “Ow. Please do not make me laugh, the wound is still painful when jostled. You both are in a much calmer frame of mind as well.” She snuggled into her twin’s side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

 

“We are,” Donghae confirmed and then moved to the other piloting chair.

 

Hyukjae settled himself in the weapons chair, shifting slightly as his lower back throbbed. He relaxed as people slowly drifted onboard, his family the last onto the flight deck before they took off. He looked over at Zhou Mi as he talked to Meng Jia through the holographic projection. The bruises were still a vivid shade of purple, but at least the swelling had gone down.

 

“We’re ready to rock and roll,” Samuel announced as he strolled onto the flight deck.

 

“Let’s earn our paycheck, then,” Hyukjae answered with a smile. His entire family was safe, he was with the love of his life, and couldn’t wait to be in all the space between here and there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see you later, space cowboy.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, reviews are appreciated.


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